Day of Remembrance

of the

King Kauikeaouli

This past 17th, Sunday, was the day of remembrance for all true Hawaiians, of the King Kauikeaouli, the Benevolent one. There are two different historical accounts of this day. Fornander states in his account that Kauikeaouli was born of Keopuolani on 11 August 1813, and that this information was from Emalia Keaweamahi, the wahine of Kaikioewa, the governor of Kauai. This date of A. Fornander is supported by Prof. Alexander in his “Brief History of the Hawaiian People.” However, in the account of Mr. James Jackson Jarves, a scholar of Hawaiian history who arrived here in Hawaii nei in 1837, Kauikeaouli was born on 17 March 1813. This historian arrived here but 24 years after the birth of Kauikeaouli, and it would seem that he obtained clear information about the true birth date of the Benevolent King, while he was living here. This statement by Jarves is supported by the reviving prayer that Kapihe offered for Kauikeaouli. Look below at line 11 [42?] in the “Pule a Kapihe.” Ikiiki is the month of March according to the reckoning of Oahu people, and according to Molokai people it is August.

Kauikeaouli was born at Ooma, Keauhou, in Kailua, in the moku of Kona. However, Prof. Alexander, in his history of Hawaii, says Kauikeaouli was born in Kailua.

The name Kauikeaouli is a name from his ancestors, that being the name of his grandfather, Keoua (Keaoua), the one called Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Kauikeaouli. This name puts on high the sacred kapu of Keoua–his chiefly kapu extends above and touches the great heavens, and rests upon the dark clouds. So therefore, the importance of the names Keaouli and Keaoua, is the dark, black, thick, esteemed cloud. This cloud is a rain cloud. A Orator of the old times said that the name Kauikeaouli is the bank of clouds that Kapihe, the prophet, saw spread high in the heavens when he was called to go to see if the child that Keopualani gave birth to was alive or not alive. He was not breathing and was totally lifeless. However, when this kahuna and prophet arrived to where the child was placed, he offered this prayer while waving a coconut frond in his hand. This is the prayer by which Kapihe made Kauikeaouli live, according to the story:

1 O ke Kukaikapaoa ka lani, ae alii,

2 He ‘lii haoa lani, haoa—a

3 He a ia m u lani ku makomako

4 He lani no Kahuku maka pali pohaku

5 He mau lani pohaku na Lono kaeho

6 No Lono ka la i poniia i ka wai niu

7 I haua i ka puaa hiwa

8 I ka puaa hiwa, puaa hiwa a Lono,

9 E Lono—e. Eia ko maka lani

10 Ko lau, ko mu’o, ko ao, ko liko

11 Ko alii kapu e Kahai-piilani

12 Ko maka Kuanahai ka malama

13 Malama ia ka lau kapu o Keaka

14 Ka lau oheohe o Keakamahana

15 I kupu a kapalulu, a kapalule

16 Ka pua, ka pua Ololo hemahema no Kaikilani

17 Nona ia lau ololo no Kanaloa

18 No ka ilio hulu panio, i poni ka maka

19 I noho ka eleele iloko o ka onohi

20 O ke kakau kioki onio i ka lae

21 O ke kioki o ke kikakapu

22 O ka i’a kapuhili au awahia

23 Awahia, awahia ia lani

24 Na Keaka wahine kea

25 Kupu mala o kea Keakealani

26 Ia laua haki ka haka o ke kapu

27 He haka i ka momona o na ‘lii nui

28 He mau alii ku moku, ai moku nui,

29 He nui hoi ka uhi, ka lawalu iwaho

30 He kai papa neenekona aina

31 He kai papa holo papa no Kahiki

32 I iki Keawe, ke kaupu kiau moku

33 Ka hua hookahi a ka A-o i ka lani

34 Na Kalani Ka’ani Kauleleiaiwi

35 Na Keawe, Keawe keia lani

36 Na kela eke hulu o Piilani

37 Lilo nei Keawe ia Piilani

38 Ahu kooka o na ‘lii

39 He mau alii ka ikena ‘ku

40 He mau lani haele wale iho no

41 Hele, hahi i ka lihilihi o ka La

42 I ka malama hanau i o Ikiiki—la

43 I ka malama hanau i o Ikiiki—la

—Mahele—

44 Ikiiki ka lani iluna

45 Ua uiha i ka malama

46 Ka pili o ho-ehu ka ua

47 Ke iloli nei ka honua

48 Naku ka mauna wai kali lia (waikaheia)

49 Ua kai lewa ia na aina

50 Ua lewa ka houpo o ka moku

51 O e au o Malela, o Kuala, o Kanaka ki o a moku

52 O ka u-u-ina i Wawau-e-aha-o

53 Ko Aupuni-la-nana-i-a

—Mahele—

54 Nana ia ae Holaniku

55 Kilohiia i kua o Wakea

56 I ke ake a Laukapalili

57 Me ke kalo o Laukapalala

58 He maka ia no Luaipo—e

59 O na ‘lii no ia o ka Nuupele

60 O I ko o maua ka Moo—

61 O ka hina kai o Haloa

62 Oia ia paha—e

63 Ke pahapaha la i ka makemakeia

64 A hiki mai ka ole hoi ana—e

[Amazingly, this is the only issue of this entire year that seems to have survived! If this newspaper could be reshot nicely, we could get a clear/clearer reading of this important mele!

And I put up the mele as is (although the image is not clear in some areas, so there are some questionable lines), so that words and phrases will be searchable on this blog or on google right now, instead of having to wait for some time in the future…]

(Kuokoa Home Rula, 3/22/1907, p. 4)