Page:Pele and Hiiaka; a myth from Hawaii (IA pelehiiakamythfr00emeriala).pdf/42

TRANSLATION

Firm plant the pillar, seal of our love-pact;
Here stand I, begirt for this love-quest;
You shall abide, and with you my groves—
Lehua and hala—heavy with bloom.
The journey is long and toilsome the task
To bring our fine lover to bed.
Mark! a love-hail—from beloved Lohiau!
Beloved Lohiau of Haena!

(I am impelled by my admiration for this beautiful song to give another version of it:)

Ku kila ke kaunu moe ipo;
Ku au, hele, noho oe, a no-ho,
A noho ana i na lehua o Lu-lu'u,
O ka pae hala, moku lehua, i uka o Ka-li'u.
Li'u-li'u ho'i, li'u-li'u wale
Ka hele ana o ka huaka'i moe ipo.
Aloha mai ka ipo,
O Lohiau ipo, e!

TRANSLATION

Fixed my intent for the lover-quest:
Here I stand to depart; you remain,
And with you my bloom-clad lehuas,
And the palm-groves that wave in Ka-li'u.
Long, wearisome long, shall the journey be
To find and to bring our lover—
That dearest of lovers, Lohiau!

Hiiaka would sleep on it. Her start was to be in the morning. The next day, while Hiiaka was climbing the long ascent up the crater-pali, her sisters, anxious and appreciating the danger of the undertaking, were quietly weeping outside the cave; but they dared not utter a word that might come to the ears of Pele. They began, however, to beckon and signal to Hiiaka to return. She saw them and turned back, uttering the following plaint:

E ku ana au e hele;
E lau ka maka o ua nei ino;