Pele and Hiiaka—A Myth
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sorcerers would, following their own practice, have disarranged the treacherous plank and precipitated her and her party into the raging stream.
"Well said," Noho-a-mo'o replied; "provided she will consent to it."
Hiiaka now called to them in the language of song:
Kahuli-huli,[1] e-e,
Ka papa o Wai-luku!
Kahuli o Apua,
Ha'a mai o Mau-kele:
He ole ke kaha kuai ai, e-e!
Homai ka ai,
Homai ho'i ka ai, e-e!
I ai'na aku ho'i, e-e!
Ka papa o Wai-luku!
Kahuli o Apua,
Ha'a mai o Mau-kele:
He ole ke kaha kuai ai, e-e!
Homai ka ai,
Homai ho'i ka ai, e-e!
I ai'na aku ho'i, e-e!
TRANSLATION
Cranky, cranky the bridge,
Bridge across the Wai-luku!
Upset is Apua;
Maukele declares that
The barter of food is naught.
Give us then of your food;
Give us something to eat;
Let us partake of your meat.
Bridge across the Wai-luku!
Upset is Apua;
Maukele declares that
The barter of food is naught.
Give us then of your food;
Give us something to eat;
Let us partake of your meat.
To this unusual demand they replied, "Indeed, do you imagine we will do any such thing as that? It is not for us to give to you; you must give us the fare before you cross on our bridge. We don’t give away things for nothing."
Hiiaka replied by repeating her request in nearly the same words:
Ka-huli-huli, e-e,
Ka papa o Wai-luku.
He ole ke kaha kuai i'a, e!
Ka papa o Wai-luku.
He ole ke kaha kuai i'a, e!
- ↑ Kahuli-huli. Kahuli, or its intensive, kahuli-huli, primarily means to upset, to overturn. A secondary meaning, much employed in the argot of hula folk, is to hand over, to pass this way; as when one guest at table might say to a neighbor, "hand me the salt (if you please)."
