PROVERBS.
In order for us to hold on to all of the olelo noeau and all of the ingenious deeds of the Hawaiian people, we very much want everyone to assist the Bishop Museum in their collecting and explaining of wise and witty sayings known amongst this race.
So that this endeavor will move forward, whenever an ancient olelo noeau comes to mind, or perhaps a riddle, do write it down and send it to the museum; and if not to there, send it directly to the Kuokoa with clarification of its hidden meaning or deep wit.
Here are some olelo noeau sent from the museum to this newspaper:
Uhiuhi lau mamane, kahe ka wai o Kapapala.
Hookahi no hawa’e, lauhue Kona.
Kau ke poo i ka uluna, o Welehu ka malama.
Aohe hana a Kauhikoa, ua kau ka waa i ke aki.
Haehae ka manu, ke aleale nei ka wai.
E aho hoi ka make i ke kaua, he nui na moepuu.
Nakeke na iwi o Hua i ka la.
Uliuli kai pali o Kahikinui, kolo mai ka ohu la he ino.
Ua komo ka i’a i ka makaha, ua puni i ka nae.
Kulia i ka nuu, i ka paepae kapu o Liloa.
Aohe loea i ka wae opae.
Hoi hou ka paakai i Waimea.
Aohe u’i hele wale o Kohala.
Wehea iho maluna o Hihimanu.
E ike ia kaua hoa kanaka, o kipa hewa ke aloha i ka ilio; he ilio hoi ia, e, he kanaka hoi au, a!
Ka poe unaunahi hee o Kula.
Hilinai Puna, kalele ia Kau.
Hihi Kaunoa, hihi Mana; aloha wale ia laau makua ole.
Kiilili pua hau o Kalena.
Maemae i ke kai ka pua o ka hala.
Maewa wale i ka pali o Kahiwa. Niniu Puna i ke ala.
Nui pumaia, ohaka oloko.
Eleelepi ka waha o kanaka.
He wa ulu keia o ka hoi.
Ua le’a kaina a ka la’i, ua malie.
Make ke kalo, ola i ka naio.
Aia i kula i ka alaalapuloa.
E hoomanao i ka lua o ka ohiki.
Ako Nuuanu i ka hale halauloa a ka makani; ako Manoa i ka hale a ka ehu.
Na manu kolea kau ahua.
[And presumably from the responses came the publication we all know today as “‘Ōlelo No‘eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings”. If you don’t have a copy, this is a must have…]
(Kuokoa, 9/21/1922, p. 2)
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke LXI, Helu 38, Aoao 2. Sepatemaba 21, 1922.
nupepa 