Ka Huaka’i a Pele Lyrics

Mai Kahiki mai ka wahine ‘o Pele,
Mai ka ‘āina o Polapola,
Mai ka pūnohu a Kāne,
Mai ke ao lalapa i ka lani, mai ke ao ‘ōpua.

Lapakū i Hawai’i ka wahine ‘o Pele.
Kālai i kona wa’a, Honua-i-ākea,
Kō wa’a, e Ka-moho-ali’i, holoa mai ka moku.
Ua ‘oki, ua pa’a ka wa’a o ke akua,
Kō wa’a o Kālai-honua-mea,
Holo mai ke au.

Hele a a’e a’e ‘o Pele-honua-mea,
‘A’e a’e kalani ‘ai punia mai ka moku.
‘A’e a’e kini o ke ‘kua.

Iā wai ka uli, ka hope o ka wa’a, e nā hoa’li’i?
Iā Pele-a-‘ehu, a Menehune.
Ka ‘ia ka liu, ho’onoho ‘ia kau hoe iluna o ka wa’a
‘O Kū mā lāua ‘o Lono.

Holo ai ka honua ‘āina kau i ho’olewa moku,
‘O Hi’i-aka no’eau he ‘kua,
Hele a’e a kōmi i ka hale o Pele.

E huahua’i i Kahiki, lapa uila e Pele,
E hua’i, e hua’ina ho’i a.

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Genius Annotation

The Coming of Pele

From Kahiki came the woman Pele,
from the land of Polapola,
from the rising reddish mist of Kāne,
from clouds blazing in the sky, horizon clouds.

Restless desire for Hawai'i seized the woman Pele.
Ready-carved was the canoe, Honua-i-ākea,
your own canoe, O Ka-moho-ali'i,
for sailing to distant lands.
Well-lashed and equipped, the canoe of high gods,
your canoe, Sacred-hewer-of-the-land,
stood ready to sail with the ocean current.

Pele-honua-mea embarked, the heavenly one
stepped aboard to sail around Kahiki island.
Multitudes of gods came aboard.

O royal companions, who handled the steering paddle at the stern?
Pele-the-redhead herself was helmswoman, ruler of the Menehune.
Kū and Lono bailed out the bilge water,
carried paddles, placed them in station.

Hi'iaka, the wise sister, next embarked,
boarded the craft to dwell with Pele in her sailing quarters,
close to Pele on the long voyage.

Jets of lava gushed from Kahiki.
Pele hurled her lightning,
vomit of flame, outpouring of lava was the woman’s farewell.

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