ku ualoha Wailuanuiaho äno ( The-Great-Twin-Waters-of [the-chief] Ho äno )

Transcription

1 Wailuanuiaho äno ( The-Great-Twin-Waters-of [the-chief] Ho äno ) ku ualoha Ku ualoha Meyer Ho omanawanui Ku ualoha Meyer Ho omanawanui One of the fundamental themes in Hawaiian mele (poetry, chants, and songs) is love for a place, often referred to as aloha äina. While Hawaiian mele today often incorporate ideas of sovereignty and dispossession from land as a part of the theme of aloha äina, it is still quite culturally appropriate to compose mele which deal with traditional expressions of aloha äina; namely, celebration of a place for its beauty or its historical importance. In composing Wailuanuiaho äno, I chose to express aloha äina in the traditional sense by celebrating the beauty of that place, and by tying it to celebrated historical figures connected to the region. I also felt it important to use traditional place names and historical figures, because if we do not continue to invoke them in contemporary references, they will not be remembered by subsequent generations. I was raised on Kaua i in an area known today as Wailua Homesteads. This area is tucked away in the great Wailua valley ma uka (upland) of the sprawling beach town of Kapa a and is surrounded by the mountains Wai ale ale, Makaleha, Nounou, and Kapu. It is a rich and fertile place with an abundance of fresh water. The Wailua river, which runs down its center, is one of the largest navigable rivers in the entire pae äina (archipelago) of Hawai i, and it has a rich traditional (before Western contact) history. Wailuanuiaho äno is comprised of the following large land areas: Kaipuha a, or Wailua Uka, in the uplands (today known as Wailua Homesteads ) and Wailua Kai near the sea (today called Wailua Houselots ). It is bordered on the southwest by Nüköli i, and on the northeast by Waipouli. Wailua Homesteads is not federally designated Hawaiian Home Lands, although many people think it is because of the name. It is known as the Homesteads because when the sugar industry was booming in the late 19th and early 177

2 20th centuries, plots in the valley were opened up to the families of the Portuguese supervisors to purchase and farm. The name has stuck ever since (Scott Pereira, personal communication, 1995). As I continued to find out more about the place where I was raised, the place that I love so very much, the idea for the mele came to me. Wailuanuiaho äno ( The-Great-Twin-Waters-of- [the-chief]-ho äno ) mele (song/poem) He nani mai ho i kau O Wailuanuiaho äno I ka wä kahiko Kaulana kou inoa. Ma mua o Kalanipö Ilihia i ka muliwai Kahi kapu o nä ali i No Kahiki mai. Eö e Wai ale ale Mauna kükilakila i ka iu Pi ikü i ke kuamauna Kuamo oloaokäne. Kahi hiwahiwa kehakeha O Wailuanuiaho äno Mai Hauola i Ka awakö Kähela i ka la i äkea. Ha ina ia kou wehi O Wailuanuiaho äno Puana ia ku u mele Kahi i aloha ia. 178

3 unuhi (translation) Oh how beautiful indeed Great Wailua of the chief Ho äno In times past Famous is your name. Before [the chief] [Mano]Kalanipö You landed at the river mouth; struck by the beauty Sacred place of royalty Originating in Kahiki. Greetings to Wai ale ale Standing proud in the distance Climbing the steepness to the top Along the great lizard back of [the god] Käne. Indeed a rare, choice place Is Wailuanuiaho äno From Hauola to Ka awakö Widespread peace and tranquillity. Your praises have been sung, Wailuanuiaho äno My story is told Of the place that is much loved. He nani mai ho i kau, Oh how beautiful indeed! is a standard opening line to express feelings of the composer for the place being described, a place truly beautiful, almost beyond words. It is so beautiful that to look at it leaves you breathless. O Wailuanuiaho äno, [The]-great-twinwaters-of-the-chief-Ho äno (lit. holy, devoted to sacred use ) : Ho äno is an early chief of high rank who was born and raised in the area of Wailua. During his reign (about the 13th century), Wailua was known as the holiest, most sacred, and most revered area on the island of Kaua i. Thus, his name infers that Wailua not only belongs to him through association, but that his name can also be translated as the-great-twin-waters- [that-are]-most-sacred. This is an example of kaona, the hidden or underlying meaning present in all good Hawaiian mele. The Hawaiian word for wealth is waiwai, or water-water. So wai-lua, two (twin) waters is a place of richness and wealth because of the abundance of fresh water which makes the land and the sea fertile. A heiau (traditional religious temple) on the north bank of the river, called Holoholokü, contains a pöhaku hänau, a birth stone, and a pöhaku piko, a navel cord stone. An ancient chant says that a chief born at Holoholokü is a high chief indeed, a commoner born there is a chief also, but a chief born elsewhere, no chief is he, a commoner indeed! (Joesting 1984:4). I ka wä kahiko, In times past; in the past, refers to the pre-contact, or traditional, period of Hawaiian history recorded solely through oral traditions chants, dances, and sayings. Kaulana kou inoa, Famous is your name : The name Wailua was very well known 179

4 throughout the pae äina. It was considered an ideal place by the navigators who landed at Wailua Kai on their voyages from O ahu, Kahiki, and elsewhere: a semi-sheltered bay with a navigable river that supplied ample fresh water and food. The highest ranking ali i (royalty) lived nearby, since it was the capital residence of the Kaua i monarchs. Famous navigators, such as Mö ïkeha, Kila, and La amaikahiki, are associated with the Wailua area in old legends, chants, and dances. La amaikahiki, for example, is said to have introduced at Wailua the first ipu heke, or double gourd drum (a long-time standard implement in Hawaiian hula), from Kahiki. No Kahiki mai, Originating in Kahiki : Kahiki is the mythical or ancient homeland of the Hawaiian people. Some say it refers to Tahiti (as Kahiki is the post-contact missionary-influenced Hawaiianization of the spelling of Tahiti), but I am inclined to disagree, and to translate the word instead as the ancient homeland. Kahiki was probably somewhere in central Polynesia, although no one today can say for certain. This line refers to the mingling of the bloodlines of high ariki (Tahitian chiefs) and ali i of Kahiki and Kaua i, resulting in the most sacred rank of chiefs, higher than any other purely Hawaiian genealogy. Ma mua o Kalanipö, Before [the time of Mano-]ka-lani-pö : Manokalanipö ( expanse of the deep dark heavens ) is a famous chief for whom Kaua i is known, as in the saying, Kaua i o Manokalanipö ( Kaua i of the chief Manokalanipö ). This line indicates that Wailua, Kaua i, was famous for a very long time, even before the time of Manokalanipö. Ilihia i ka muliwai, [You were] struck by the beauty [of the place when you] landed at the river mouth : It is indeed quite a breathtaking view looking ma uka from the shore of the bay to the mountains called Kapu ( sacred ) on the left, and, to the right, Nounou ( thrusting ; also called the Sleeping Giant today because of its anthropomorphic features), with the majestic Wai ale ale ( rippling waters ) in the distance and the dark, deep, calm waters of the river reflecting the images of these mountains below. Kahi kapu o nä ali i, Sacred place of royalty : This area was most sacred, and home to the highest ranking chiefs. Eö e Wai ale ale, Greetings to Wai ale ale, is a call of aloha, welcome, acknowledgment of, or salutation to the mountain, which was long revered and regarded as the pu uwai the heart of the island. Mauna kükilakila i ka iu, Mountain standing proud in the distant, lofty heights : Wai ale ale stands over 4,000 feet high, and is flanked by the lower mountains Makaleha to the east, Kähili to the west, and Pihanakalani to the south. The eastern face of Wai ale ale is a sheer, almost 90-degree vertical cliff which boasts more than 13 separate waterfalls. It is quite a lofty and majestic mountain, indeed. Pi ikü i ke kuamauna / Kuamo oloaokäne, Climbing the steepness to the top [of the back of the mountain] / Along the great lizard back of [the god] Käne : This refers to the ridge that begins near the mouth of the Wailua river and ascends its north bank into the uka, or upland, region. It is called Kuamo oloaokäne, or the-long-lizard-backof-käne, a male god associated with the sun, taro, procreation, and life in general. Today this ridge, and the asphalt highway 180

5 which ascends it, are both called Kuamo o. The ridge is the only way to enter the upper region of Wailua Uka from Wailua Kai. Kahi hiwahiwa kehakeha / O Wailuanuiaho äno, Indeed a rare, choice place / Is Wailuanuiaho äno : The entire area of Wailuanuiaho äno is sacred and beautiful, and cannot be compared to any other in beauty, history, or significance. Mai Hauola i Ka awakö, From Hauola to Ka awakö : Hauola ( life giving ), also called Hikina-a-ka-lä ( rising of the sun ) is the name of the heiau at the mouth of the Wailua river. It is a place of healing, and is considered a pu uhonua, a place of refuge from crime or war. Ka awakö ( the kava drawn along ) is the name of an ancient heiau on the highest peak of Wai ale ale. It is associated with Kü, the god of politics, power, and warfare. Seven heiau span the breadth of the vast Wailua river region. From shoreline to mountain top, they are Kukui, Hauola, Malae, Holoholokü, Kalaemoku, Poli ahu, and Ka awakö. This connection between the ocean and the mountain, represented by Hauola and Ka awakö, also demonstrates the Hawaiian concept of pono ( balance or harmony ) between opposites. sun has set behind Wai ale ale and a tranquil stillness envelops the land. Ha ina ia kou wehi / O Wailuanuiaho äno, Your praises have been told, O Wailuanuiaho äno. Wailua is a very lush valley, and is adorned with maile, mokihana, ferns, and flowers. The use of the word wehi (which means praise, as well as adornment and lushness of vegetation ) is meant to conjure the image of lush greenness and dense forests permeated with the sweet smell of maile, laua e, and palapalai fern. Puana ia ku u mele / Kahi i aloha ia, This is my praise / Of the place that is much loved : This mele is my ho okupu, my offering or gift, to the place that I love so much, and is meant as an expression of aloha äina, of love for this land. In composing this mele, I have expressed my feelings regarding Hawaiian sovereignty through the theme of aloha äina. By conveying the beauty of Wailuanuiaho äno through traditional language and imagery, the names, places, and people associated with that place live on in literary form. Kähela ka la i äkea, Widespread peace and tranquility : This description is especially true in pre-contact times, when war on Kaua i was uncommon because of the goodness and power of its chiefs and its distance from the other islands. The rich fishing grounds, productive taro lands, fertile fields, and clear skies provided an excellent environment for schools of astrology, healing, and hula, as well as a home of ali i and a pu uhonua for the people. The description is still true of the area, particularly in the evening when the 181

6 References Joesting, Edward Kaua i, The Separate Kingdom. Honolulu: University of Hawai i Press. Pereira, Scott Personal communication. Pukui, Mary Kawena and Samuel H. Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary. Revised edition. Honolulu: University of Hawai i Press. Pukui, Mary Kawena, Samuel H. Elbert and Esther T. Mookini Place Names of Hawaii. Revised edition. Honolulu: University of Hawai i Press. 182