More on Don Blanding, 1939.

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About Don Blanding

Don Blanding

Moses Company, Limited announced the arrival of plates decorated by this famous poet, Don Blanding, a they are being displayed in their store and are placed in one of their show windows. You can see the true value of his recollections. His abilities in painting is incomparable.

You can begin your collection of plates for $8.80. They are beautiful to look at, and can be used everyday.

Should you desire to see some of those plates, go to the book store of the Moses Company. Continue reading →

Don Blanding poem in English, 1939.

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Don Blanding Dedicates Poem To Old Hawaiians

Don Blanding, Hawaii’s own poet, now visiting in Hilo, has finished a poem and dedicated it to “those grand old Hawaiians you see sitting on the doorsteps of the little houses along the road in Kona watching life go by, smiling.”

Here’s the new poem:

Tutu

“Tutu” is the affectionate Hawaiian name for grandparents or very old people.)

I would grow old as you are old, Tutu,
Seasoned with loving, mellow with gracious giving,
I would have hair like your grayed hair, Tutu,
Each silver thread a service stripe of living.

I would have eyes like your kind eyes, Tutu,
The veil of tears pierced by gay laughter’s twinkle,
I would have lips that smile like yours, Tutu,
A line from Life’s rich story in each wrinkle.

I would look back as you look back, Tutu,
Remembering all the good, the rest forgetting,
I would face death as you face death, Tutu,
Grateful of heart, undaunted, unregretting.

—Don Blanding

July 9, 1939

(Hoku o Hawaii, 7/12/1939, p. 6)

Don Blanding Dedicates Poem To Old Hawaiians

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXIV, Number 11, Aoao 6. July 12, 1939.

More on the originator of Lei Day, Don Blanding, 1939.

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Don Blanding Dedicates this poem to the oldsters of Hawaii

This was translated into Hawaiian for the writer by Mrs. Mary Kawena Pukui of the Bishop Museum. These mele in English and Hawaiian will come out in the new book by Don Blanding, Drifter’s Gold, which will be published in the last week of September.

Tutu

WRITTEN BY DON BLANDING

E iini no au e kahiko aku e like me kou kahiko ana, e Tutu,
I ike i ka hua o ke aloha, i haawi oluolu aku,
E iini no au e like ko’u oho me kou oho poohina, e Tutu,
O na oho kuakea pakahi, he makana no keia ola ana.

E iini no au e like o’u mau maka me kou mau maka oluolu, e Tutu
I piha i ka waimaka a puka mai hoi ka aka ana,
E iini no au e loaa ia’u ka minoaka ana e like me kou, e Tutu,
O na alu pakahi o kou papalina, he waiwai i kaha ia e keia ola ana.

E iini no au e nana i hope e like me kou nana ana, e Tutu,
E hoomanao ana i na mea maikai, e hoopoina aku i ka nui,
E iini no au e nana aku i ka maka o ka make ana e like me oe, e Tutu,
Me ka naau hoomaikai, wiwoole a kaumaha ole.

(Hoku o Hawaii, 7/12/1939, p. 1)

Hoolaa o Don Blanding keia mele no na Hawaii kahiko

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXIV, Nuimber 11, Aoao 1. Iulai 12, 1939.

Honokaa School May Day, 1942.

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MAY DAY & LEI DAY

Honokaa School Park
Friday, May 1, 1942

Mr. Herman Larsgard, Principal
Mrs. Hattie L. S. Reinhardt, Chairman
Mr. Roy Mitsuka, Announcer
Miss Sueko Higashi, Information & Phone
Mr. Robert Main, Carpenter, Stage

9:30–11:30 A. M.

Sound of bugles or shell horns announcing the
Appearance of May Queen, Miss Hannah Akini
(Everybody clapping hands)
May Day & Lei Day Prayer, Reverend Abraham Poepoe

Sound of bugles everybody steps into his place for the
May Day & Lei Day Parade

May Day Queen leads the parade with her attendants,
followed by the rest in the other of the parade

Queen walks to her chair on the stage, her attendants stand in
their places, the Queen bids ALOHA to everybody and asks
them to sit in their places

Chant:—HOOKUPUS to the MAY QUEEN
(Queen thanks for the HOOKUPUS)

Hawaiian Hulas, Mrs. C. Hermann & Girls
Hawaiian Music, Auna Family Troupe
Impersonation, Don Blanding, originator of
Lei Day in Hawaii, Dr. C. L. Carter
Song: “May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii,” The whole Honokaa School (Led by Mrs. Carl Braun)
May Day and Lei Day Cheerio, Mr. Kim and Cheer Leaders

Hawaiian Games:
Mrs. A. G. Robertson, 1A—Hawaiian Menehunes at work and disappear behind stage
Mrs. Annie Awong, 2A—Hawaiian Yo Yo
Mrs. M. Hayakawa, 1B—Gathering flowers and ti leaves
Mrs. Daisy Souza, 2B—Stringing leis
Mrs. M. Meyers, 2B—String games
Mrs. L. McGillivray, 4A—Slapping game
Mrs. H. Reinhardt, 4B—Play Pio
Mrs. E. Montgomery, 3A—Hawaiian May Pole Dance
Mr. C. Kobayashi, 3B—Uma, Skip rope
Mrs. J. Fraser, 5A—Make flower kahilis, paper capes
Mr. J. Souza, 5B—Sling shots and send runners to get the maa stone and return them to Queen
Mrs. C. Gordon, 6A—Make flower kahilis, paper capes
Mr. Robert Hayakawa, 7—Fishing: rod & line, throw net, torch fishing, hukilau
Surfing with surf boards, Spearing fish
Hawaiian School, Mrs. Hattie Reinhardt
Hawaiian Hulas & Hawaiian Songs, Auna Family Troupe
Mrs. Kekoalani & Girls
Musical Selections (8 or 10 pieces), Army Band
Leader, Sgt. Mitchell
Hawaii Ponoi
Star-Spangled Banner

ORDER OF MAY & LEI DAY PARADE

JUNIOR POLICE
American Flag
Honokaa Unit Soldiers
Majorettes (2) Juliet Paiva, Catherine Paiva & Antonina Figueroa
Army Band
Scout Boys, Elder Weeks—Scout Girls, Mrs. Virginia Torres
Mrs. A. G. Robertson, 1A Pennant “ALOHA”
Mrs. A. Awong, 1B Pennant, “LEI DAY IN HONOKAA”
Mrs. M. Hayakawa, 2A, Pennant, “MAY DAY IN HONOKAA”
Mrs. D. Souza, 2B, Pennant, “Hauoli Kakou”
Mrs. M. Meyers, 2B, Pennant, “MINOAKA”
Mrs. Montgomery, 3A, Pennant, “HULA HULA”
Mr. C. Kobayashi, 6B, Pennant, “Penei Hoi”
Mrs. L. McGillivray, 4A, Pennant, “Auwe Nohoi Oe”
Mrs. H. L. Reinhardt, 4B, Pennant, “Lanakila”
Mrs. J. Fraser, 5A, Pennant, “Hele Malie”
Mrs. J. Souza, 5B, Pennant, “MANAOLANA”
Mr. R. Hayakawa, 7, Pennant, “Lawaia”
7th grade and teacher,
8th grade and teacher,
9th grade and teacher,
10th grade and teacher,
11th grade and teacher,
12th grade and teacher.
Scouts lead Army to bleachers and all the children to their seats on bleachers.

Mr. I Fukuda, Type Programs
Miss M. Genung, Girl Reserves
Mrs. M. Chen, Make ilima paper leis
Mrs. H. Spalding, Red Cross
Mrs. Kobatake, Majorettes (Juliette Paiva & Sisters)
Miss Takano, Make paper leis
Mrs. C. Braun, Make paper ilima leis
Mrs. Ethel Blackadar, Chairman, Decorate Stage
Mr. Yamauchi, Mr. K. Hayakawa, Janitors, Helpers
Mrs. Mollison & Mrs. Torres, Prepare May Day Lunch
Mr. R. Kim, Pennants

(Hoku o Hawaii, 4/29/1942, p. 4)

MAY DAY & LEI DAY

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXVII, Number 1, Aoao 4. Apelila 29, 1942.

Lei Day in Lahaina, 1944.

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[Found under: “Na Hunahuna Mea Hou O Maui”]

Lei Making is Held

Last week, an event was held to commemorate Lei Day by the classes of Lahainaluna School.

The May Day queen was Kuulei Bechert and her attendant was Theone Freeland.

The featured things at this event were the display of items of koa, the lei, lauhala and applique quilt [kapa apana]. The koa display was from Mrs. G. Alan Freeland, and lauhala was done by Mrs. C. K. Kunane. The lei were done by some classes of the school watched over by Hannah Reimann.

Also undertaken was the selling of war bonds and the proceeds reached $10,000.

The quilt, “Ka Lama o Lahainaluna” [The Light of Lahainaluna] was on a dark background with a pattern of kukui leaves, fruit, and torch, which was spread out to be seen.

Mrs. John T. Moir, Jr., was the adviser of this event, and Mrs. Alice Banham was her assistant along with William McWayne; they were the supervisors of this program.

(Hoku o Hawaii, 5/17/1944, p. 1)

Malama Na Hana Lei

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXIX, Number 4, Aoao 1. Mei 17, 1944.

University of Hawaii Lei Day Queen, 1936.

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Hilo Girl Is Lei Queen At University

Flanked by her six retainers, Esther Waihee, of Hilo, first freshman ever chosen lei queen of the University of Hawaii, is shown as she appeared ruling over the university Lei Day pageant. The girls are left to right, Puamana Akana, Ellen Stewart, Mele Aiona, Miss Waihee, Carol Ross, Rosalind Phillips and Kaliko Burgess.

(Hoku o Hawaii, 5/13/1936, p. 1)

Hilo Girl Is Lei Queen At University

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXI, Number 3, Aoao 1. Mei 13, 1936.

Newspapers, Mary Robins, mele, and connections, 1919.

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HE HULA NO E. E. ROBINS.

Kaulana mai nei o Honolulu Harbor,
O ka ipukukui malamalama,
He nani no oe ua ikeia,
A na manu e pohai nei;
Ku mai o Robins me ka hiehie,
He ui ninau ia Henry Au,
E uleu kaua a e pono ai,
I loaa ka makana mailuna mai,
Hoike piha oe i kou ike,
Noii nowelo a ke akamai;
O ka paia keleawe e hulali ana,
Opuu kaimana alohilohi;
Ua hana noeau ia e Palanai,
Ke pipi’o nei e ke anuenue;
O ka pipiio no ia Honolulu Harbor,
A welo e ka hae helu ekahi.
Lohe aku Kaleponi he aina nani,
Ua kau ka hoku i waenakonu.
O ka pine kohu ana ko umauma,
E owaka e ka nani i Kilauea,
Ka moena weleweka ka moena ia,
Opuu kaimana kau umauma;
Imua kaua a lanakila,
Ke Akua mau loa kou kokua;
Hea aku au e o mai oe,
E o e Robins i kou inoa.

Hakuia e
MRS. MARY ROBINS. Continue reading →

Mary Robins and a fun fishing story, 1918.

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NEWS FROM THE LIGHT STATION OF HONOLULU HARBOR.

Please be patient with me, O Editor of the Kuokoa Newspaper, and include my little news from the day of Washington’s birthday.

At 3 p. m., we went walking around the pier of the lighthouse to check out what was new; we saw the fireworks and heard its sound, and saw an American flag with a balloon carrying this flag so beautiful to see.

After that, we spotted a huge octopus headed towards us, then it went below the pier, stayed there quietly for a minute or so, and then we saw it again beneath some big rocks; I went down to go find a place where I could stick my hands in, and when I saw it was the right time to grab the big hee, there were two things I felt at the same time, fear and regret; I pushed aside my fear and it was the feeling of regret that I concentrated on, whereupon I grabbed the head of the hee, and its tentacles latched on tightly to the rocks, and it thought it would be victorious, but it would not be triumphant over me because I had its head grasped tightly in my hands. Continue reading →

Paaiea Pond, part 4 and final, from the pen of J. W. H. Isaac Kihe, 1914.

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SOME STORIED LANDS OF KONA

Written for the Hoku o Hawaii by ka Ohu Haaheo i na Kuahiwi Ekolu¹

PAAIEA POND

Meeting with Kolomu’o and Pahinahina.

When the flames subsided, the fire disappeared, and this is why it was assumed it was the fire of the Uau Bird Catchers in the Mountains.

In the middle of that night, the lava emerged and flowed like water below a crater on the side of a peak called Kileo, and it is black, shiny pahoehoe that remains there to this day. And from there the lava dove down and resurfaced makai side and several deep fissures cracked open and remain near the village that Mr. Maguire lives at.

The lava dropped down again and on the makai side of the old road there opened up a small furrow six (6) feet wide, and from here the lava began to flow and overran everything before it.

Villages were destroyed and some people died as victims to the wrath of the Goddess of the crater, because of the denial of Pele by that Konohiki [Kepaalani] which the Alii [Kamehameha I] stationed to oversee all of his wealth. And when the Konohiki saw the lava burning everything and turning into pahoehoe and gorging away, he finally realized that the old lady was Pele that appeared before him asking for fish, palu, and then shrimp, and he regretted this filled with dread and great fear. Continue reading →

Hula, mele, and tradition, 1928.

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IN SEARCH OF HULA, OLIOLI HOAEAE, AND HAWAIIAN SONGS

There are some people here trying to find once more the hula, chants, and songs of old Hawaii.

Some people believe that it would be good to perpetuate the hula and olioli hoaeae of the the old. Some believe strongly that it is a waste of time or that type of endeavor would be old fashioned [olopaikini].

Some people think that it is very good for Hawaiian things to be fostered, and they are attempting to put an end to improper things like the kind of hula olapa of some people done in public. Continue reading →