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)
Kuokoa Home Rula, Buke V, Helu 12, Aoao 4. Maraki 22, 1907.
nupepa 