I posted the awesome translation of Poe’s “The Raven” back in 2013, but back then I did not realize that “Hawaii” was Lorenzo Lyons! Wow.
Ma ke aumoe pouliuli, ia’u i nalu a luluhi
Ma na mea kahiko loa, ane nalo aku no,
Kimo au la, ane moe, hikilele i ka lohe
I ka mea me he kikoni i koni ma ka puka o’u,
He malihini wahi au, i koni ma ka puka o’u,
Oia wale iho no….
Aloha—In this issue, I am concluding my translation of the mele from the “Mocking Bird.” Many very fine songs have been translated. The Publisher [Luna Hoopuka], Hon. J. U. Kawainui, has been kind to print these mele.
The Song Teachers should keep these mele. They should cut them out and assemble them in once place. Sing them widely in the Public Schools, at the School Presentations, so that the work spent composing, writing, and printing these mele will not go to waste. With appreciation,
Hawaii Ponoi.
Waimea, Hawaii, May 25, 1880.
[It is good to know that Lorenzo Lyons went by the pen name “Hawaii Ponoi” as well as “Hawaii”.]
(Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, 6/5/1880, p. 4)
Ko Hawaii Pae Aina, Buke III, Helu 23, Aoao 4. Iune 5, 1880.
Home, Sweet Home.
1 A auwana wau ma na aina, na kai,
A ike i ko laila mau mea maikai,
A noho haanou ma na hale alii,
Aole he lua o kuu home nei;
Home, home maikai,
Aohe he lua o kuu home nei.
2 A imi a puni ke ao nui nei,
Mahea, mahea e loaa mai ai,
Ke kuonoono, ka malu maikai,
I like ka nani me kuu home nei?
Home, home maikai,
I like ka nani me kuu home nei.
3 Ua oli no au la ma kuu hale mauu.
Ma kahi hoohui no na kini o’u,
Me kuu mau makua, na hoa maikai,
Auhea ka lua o kuu home nei?
Home, home maikai,
Auhea ka lua o kuu home nei?
4 Ke kau nei maluna o kuu home nei,
Ka la, ka mahina, ke ao nani e,
A lele alea na manu liilii,
A ala na pua o kuu home nei;
Home, home maikai,
A ala na pua o kuu home nei.
5 Kekahe malie koonei kahawai,
A ulu na hua ma kuu kihapai,
A holo a oli na kamalii e;
Auhea ka lua o kuu home nei?
Home, home maikai,
Auhea ka lua o kuu home nei?
6 E mau kuu aloha me kuu pili mai,
I kuu wahi noho, kuu home maikai,
A hele mahea e loaa hou ai,
Ka home i like me kuu home nei?
Home, home maikai,
Ka home i like me kuu home nei.
7 E pau ana nae kuu home maanei,
E loaa ka lua a pakela’e,
Maluna me Iesu ke Lii e ola’i,
Malaila kuu home, kuu home maikai,
Home, home maikai,
Malaila kuu home, kuu home maikai.
Hawaii.
[Now that I know that “Hawaii” is Lorenzo Lyons, it makes sense that he was very prolific in the newspapers with his many poetic compositions.]
(Kuokoa, 1/27/1866, p. 4)
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke V, Helu 4, Aoao 4. Ianuari 27, 1866.
Appreciation for Hawaii.—The song published on Page 4 of our paper today, is something truly that our hearts desire. This is the first time that we have seen a song that is exceptionally beautiful translated by Hawaii from English to our language. And being that we feel admiration in our hearts, we give a portion of thanks [??? ke haawi hapalua aku nei makou i ka mahalo] to Hawaii, that is to Lyons [Laiana]. And we believe that there will be many who will see it and like the mele, just as we do.
[I have been searching for the identity of this person Hawaii for many years. Finding the identity of pen names used in Hawaiian newspapers is always an exciting thing.]
(Kuokoa, 1/27/1866, p. 2)
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke V, Helu 4, Aoao 2. Ianuari 27, 1866.
(PILIPO HAAE)
The picture placed above is of one of the kamaaina of Kona of the horizon clouds in the calm, and the land famed for the Tail of the Manini [ke Pewa a o ka Manini],¹ that being Phillip Haae who just made 80 years old on the 23rd of June, A. D. 1940.
Pilipo Haae was born in Kealia Kai, South Kona, Hawaii, on the 23rd of June, A. D. 1860.
When he was six years old, he went to the school at Hookena, and Mr. D. H. Nahinu was his first teacher, and after him was Mr. J. E. Namaka. He went to school under this teacher for some years, and his last teacher in Kona was Mr. John Keawehawaii. They were taught in the Hawaiian language, being that during those days, O Hawaii’s Own, it was that the Hawaiian language which fully enveloped you.
While John Keawehawaii served as the teacher, Haae’s classmates and he as well were graduated. This was after the conclusion of the School Testing [Hoike Kula] of all of the Government Schools of South Kona which took place at the church of Honaunau.
In the month of August, the children of the Hookena school were considered for matriculation into Lahainaluna. The children were told, they being Geresoma Waiau, John Nahinu, and Phillip Haae. When he found out that he was one of the children to enter Lahainaluna School, his parents prepared what was necessary for him to go to school. When this was ready, and when the day came for his boat to leave, he got on. The Kilauea was the ship during those days.
When it reached Maui, and the ship stopped there, he got off on land. When the ship got to the dock, the upperclassmen from Lahainaluna were waiting, being sent to retrieve the new children.
In those days, there were no cars like today, but there were carts pulled by oxen. Their bundles and the fish boxes [? pahu I’a] were placed upon the cart, and we children who were headed to the school went up by foot. The children returning to the school came from Kau, Kona, and Kohala Loko and Kohala Waho. The children were all Hawaiian.
He entered into Lahainaluna School in 1877 in the month of September, and graduated in the month of June in 1883.
There were seven of them in the Senior Class [Papa Ekahi] the year that he graduated, and one of his classmates is still living here in Keaukaha, Hilo, Hawaii, and the two of them regularly get together at Keaukaha when Pilipo Haae comes to Hilo.
He entered into Lahainaluna School, and the Head Instructor [Kumupoo] was Mr. H. R. Hitchcock [H. R. Hikikoki], and T. B. Hascall was the first assistant, and Rev. J. B. Hanaike was the second assistant.
The children were taught in the Hawaiian language by the Hawaiian teacher, Rev. Hanaike, and sometimes they were instructed by the head teacher. Afterwards new assistant teachers came.
English was taught to the students during his later days at Lahainaluna School, but it was difficult for the lips to speak, and the haole understood what was being said when spoken all garbled [paka-ke].
After he graduated, he returned to his land in the month of August, after travelling about with his classmates of “Maui, The Greatest” [Maui No E Ka Oi].
In the month of August, Phillip was assigned by Mr. H. N. Greenwell, the School Agent of North and South Kona, to work as teacher at Ala-e School.
He carried out his assignment. He went to Ala’e School in September, 1883. The road to there was long; 5 miles, the roads of Pinaonao were bad; this along with the very meager pay from his school, just a $1 a day, therefore, he decided to leave the teaching job and to take on the occupation of his ancestors, that being “Farming” and “Fishing,” and so he left his teaching position in the month of May, 1886.
In the month of May, 1884, he was joined in holy matrimony with one of the birds from the uplands, of the lehua drooping with nectar of the birds of Mauliola, Honokaa, South Kona, Hawaii, and in the month of June, 1922, she left on the road of no return.²
The Work He Undertook
He did all sorts of jobs. His last position he held was the Head of the Prison of Hookena, South Kona, Hawaii County, which he held for 15 years.
In his marriage to his wife, they lived together for 38 years, and it was the death of his wife which separated the two of them. Betwixt them, their family garden bore fruit with boys and girls, and from them they have many grandchildren almost reaching seventy.
This perhaps is the true motto of King Kalakaua—”Increase the lahui.”
On this past 23rd of June, his 80th birthday was celebrated. He remains active as ever, and he is very good at numbers [makaukau loa ma na huahelu], and is pleasant to talk to, and is full of funny things to say.
He is one of our readers of the Hoku o Hawaii, and is an expert at seeking veiled information [as in riddles], and he is known by the pen names, “Kahi Koa Polani” and “Pohakuopele.”
We pray as well that he is given more birthdays to come.
¹A reference to the bay, Kapewaokamanini in Kona.
²Kahulaleaokeakealani, daughter of S. M. Paauhau was born on June 14, 1867 and died June 7, 1922.
[Just plain wow.]
(Hoku o Hawaii, 9/25/1940, p. 2)
Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXV, Number 22, Aoao 2. Sepatemaba 25, 1940.
Miss Ella Paris of Kealakekua is credited with translating fifty-eight of the hymns in the “Leo Hoonani,” the Hawaiian church hymnal. Miss Paris has been modestly hiding her identity under the pen name of “Hualalai.”
[Although this pen name seems to be widely known, it is often difficult to ascertain the identities of people who use pen names. Every so often there are articles like this in the newspapers (and elsewhere)!]
(Hawaiian Gazette, 7/16/1915, p. 8)
Hawaiian Gazette. Volume VIII, Number 57, Page 8. July 16, 1915.
nupepa 