He Kaao no Kahalaopuna

Legend of Kahalaopuna.

Manoa in Oahu is the land in which Kahalaopuna was born; and Kahoiwai is the place on which the house stood. Kauakuahine was the father and Kahoiamano was the mother. Kahalaopuna was a young and beautiful girl, a virgin; she was good to look upon and was a favorite with her people. Some time before, her parents had promised her to Kauhi, a man of note who was at this time living with Kakuhihewa, the king of Oahu. Kauhi belonged to Koolau and he lived at a place called Alele.

O Manoa ma Oahu ka aina hanau o Kahalaopuna, o Kahoiwai ke kahuahale, o Kauakuahine ka makuakane, o Kahoiamano ka makuahine. He kaikamahine opiopio maikai o Kahalaopuna, he wahine ui a maikai ke nana aku, he puupaa hoi aole i naha kona mai. Ua palama kona mau makua i kona kino a na Kauhi, he kanaka koikoi e noho ana me Kakuhihewa, ke ’lii o Oahu nei. No Koolau o Kauhi, no Alele.

When Kauhi heard that the parents of Kahalaopuna had given their consent to their engagement, he began to collect and to send her all manner of good things. After the lapse of certain ten-day periods (anahulu) he, however, found something against her, and it came about in this way. Some people who were desirous of seeing Kahalaopuna put to death, while on their way from Manoa to Koolau, upon meeting Kauhi made up a slanderous story against her in the following manner: “How strange indeed was the behavior of your intended wife, Kahalaopuna! She went dancing two nights now, and on each night had a separate lover.” When Kauhi heard this from these men, he said to himself: “I shall indeed kill her for she has taken all the good things from my lord which I gave her. She has now gone and defiled herself.”

I ka lohe ana o Kauhi he wahine o Kahalaopuna nana, malama mai la ia i na mea a pau loa no Kahalaopuna, a hala he mau anahulu, alaila, loaa ka hewa. Imihala kekahi poe ia Kahalaopuna i mea e make ai. Hele aku la lakou mai Manoa aku a Koolau, a loaa o Kauhi, olelo aku la me ka epa: “Kupanaha ko wahine o Kahalaopuna, alua po i ka hula, alua no hoi po me ke kane hou.” A lohe o Kauhi i keia mau olelo epa a kela mau kanaka, olelo iho o Kauhi: “Make ia wahine ia’u; ua pau ka waiwai a ko’u haku iaia, eia ka no hai e wahi kona mai.”

Kauhi then came up to Manoa and found Kahalaopuna, and asked her to go with him to Pohakea, a place above Ewa lying close to the Kaala mountain. While on their way, she meditated within herself as to the probable cause of this journey. In going they took the upper road where people seldom passed, passing along Pauoa and Waolani, then along upper Kalihi and so on to Manana, where they spent the night. In all this traveling the hands of Kahalaopuna were bound with a cord by Kauhi and consequently her skirt (pa-u) became unfastened and trailed on behind, she being unable to fasten it properly as her hands were bound.

Pii mai la o Kauhi a loaa o Kahalaopuna ma Manoa, olelo aku ia ia e hele i Pohakea, ma uka o Ewa, e pili la me ke kuahiwi o Kaala. I ko laua hele ana, noonoo iho la o Kahalaopuna i ke kumu o keia hele ana. Ma keia hele ana o laua, ma ka uka pili kanaka ole, ma uka o Pauoa a me Waolani, malaila, a ma uka o Kalihi, pela ko laua hele ana a Manana moe laua. Eia nae, ua paa na lima o Kahalaopuna i ka nakii ia e Kauhi i ke kaula, nolaila, helelei no ka pa-u o Kahalaopuna ma kahi a laua i hele ai, no ka lima ole e hana iho ai.

On the next day they resumed their way until they came to Pohakea, then on up to a large lehua tree, where Kauhi called Kahalaopuna to come near to him. Thinking that the call boded no evil she went up to him, but no. As she stood in front of Kauhi, he said: “Lie down.” Kahalaopuna obeyed. Kauhi again said: “I am going to kill you for you have taken the property of my lord, which I gave you, and have allowed yourself to be defiled.” Kahalaopuna answered: “My husband, for you are indeed my husband, I am not defiled; you must not kill me.” Kauhi then broke off a lehua branch and struck Kahalaopuna with it; two and three times he struck her, when Kahalaopuna chanted the following lines:

A ao ae, hele aku la laua a hiki i Pohakea, pii aku la laua a hiki malalo o kekahi kumu lehua, kahea mai o Kauhi ia Kahalaopuna: “Ea! E Kahalaopuna, hele mai maanei.” E manao ana o Kahalaopuna i keia kahea a Kauhi he pono la, aole ka! A hiki o Kahalaopuna, olelo o Kauhi: “Moe aku.” Moe o Kahalaopuna, olelo iho o Kauhi: “Make oe ia’u, no ka mea, ua pau ka waiwai a ko’u haku ia oe, eia ka! na hai oe e wahi a naha, aole hoi oe i naha ia’u.” Olelo mai o Kahalaopuna: “E ke kane, e moe mai oe i ka mai a i naha, pono hoi ka make ana, aka hoi i naha ole, mai pepehi oe ia’u.” Hahaki iho la o Kauhi i ka lala lehua o ka ohia, a uhau aku la ia Kahalaopuna, elua, ekolu hahau ana, pane mai o Kahalaopuna ma ke oli penei:

My husband from the uplands of Kahoiwai,
From the uplands where the creeping trees grow,
My husband from Kahaimano, alas!
Like unto a shark is your jealousy of me,
Quickly returning to bite at me,
My great love for you is, however, broken, alas!

Kuu kane mai ka uka o Kahoiwai,
Mai ka uka laau hihi i ka nahele,
Kuu kane o Kahaiamano e! Auwe!
Me he mano la no ka lili ia’u,
Ka hoi koke mai no nanahu ia’u
O kuu nui aloha, ua hai iho nei e! Auwe!

Kauhi again said to her: “You shall not live, for you have allowed yourself to be defiled by another.” Kahalaopuna answered: “I am not defiled, and I cannot see any reason why you should beat me thus.” Again Kauhi beat her until she was almost dead, when Kahalaopuna again chanted:

I aku o Kauhi: “Aole oe e ola ia’u, no ka mea, ua naha kou mai ia hai.” I aku o Kahalaopuna: “E moe mai oe e ke kane a i naha ka mai, pono hoi kau pepehi ana.” Lele hou o Kauhi pepehi, a kokoke e make loa o Kahalaopuna, ia wa kau hou mai o Kahalaopuna i ke oli:

My husband from the rising dust of Kawiliwili,
From the sunny plain of Mahinauli.
The dark spot on the skin reminds me of you.
Alas! I am anxiously waiting for the heavy rains,
And the wind from the front of Pokiikaua,
My husband in the twilight of Mana
Who accuses me unjustly.
I stood and gazed there,
Ready to weep
As the tears gathered in my eyes.
Alas! Alas, my dear companion!

Kuu kane mai ka ea a Kawiliwili,
Mai ke kula la i Mahinauli.
Ka uli o ka ili manao i ke hoa.
Auwe! E manao aku ana au o ka naulu,
O ka makani i ke alo o Pokiikaua,
Kuu kane liula i Mana e!
A kukui au a ka hewahewa.
Ku wau nana i laila,
Ha nana ana wau e uwe,
Haloi, haloi, kuu waimaka,
Auwe! Auwe kuu hoa e!

At this Kauhi again prepared to strike her with the stick to kill her. In her last faint cry she said: “My love to you. Let me kiss you, my husband, ere I depart from this life. Tell our parents of my love for them.” Kauhi then said: “Why do you give your orders when you are thus about to die? I shall kill you.” With that he struck her with the stick and killed her. Kauhi then dragged the dead body and laid it under the lehua tree, covered it over with leaves and ferns, fixed it so that it could not be seen and returned to his home. The spirit of Kahalaopuna flew to the top of the lehua tree and called out in a chant:

Ia wa, lele mai o Kauhi hahau i ka laau, o ka make loa keia, kahea ae o Kahalaopuna: “Aloha oe, ho mai ka ihu, e ke kane, a hele ae au; e hai aku oe i na makua o kaua i kuu aloha.” Olelo iho o Kauhi: “Ka! Waiho ka kau kauoha ia’u a mainoino oe, make oe ia’u.” Ia hahau ana a Kauhi i ka laau, make loa o Kahalaopuna. Alako aku la o Kauhi a malalo o ke kumu lehua, uhi iho la i ka lau laau, a me ka opala, hana iho la a nalo, hoi aku la i kauhale.

Lele ae la ka uhane o Kahalaopuna a luna o ke kumu ohia lehua, oli mai la:

O ye vast company that is passing by,
Go ye to my parents
And tell them that Kahalaopuna is dead;
For she lies in the uplands of Pohakea,
Beneath the lehua tree.

E kela huakai nui e hele ae la,
E hele oukou a i o’u makua
E hai aku oukou ua make o Kahalaopuna;
Aia la i ka uka o Pohakea,
I ke kumu lehua la o lalo iho.

Kahalaopuna saw the company of people as they were passing along the road, which was the reason why she chanted. At the close of the chant the people stood and listened, uncertain whether it was the voice of people, the wind, or the squeak caused by the rubbing together of trees.

Ua ike o Kahalaopuna i ka huakai e hele ana ma ke alanui, nolaila, kana oli ana, a pau ke oli ana a Kahalaopuna, ku iho la ka huakai e hoolohe, i keia leo, he kanaka paha, he makani paha, he uwi laau paha.

After a while Kahalaopuna chanted a second time, which made the people know that it was the spirit of a dead person; so they continued on their way until they arrived at Manoa, where they informed the parents of Kahalaopuna of what they had heard. Upon hearing this the parents arose and went to the place where their daughter had been killed. When they arrived at Pohakea, they looked for the lehua tree where the body was hidden. At last they found it and they took up the body and with it they returned to Manoa, where they worked over it until she was restored to life and assumed her former self.

Elua oli ana a Kahalaopuna, maopopo ia lakou, he uhane ua make, nolaila, hele mai lakou a hiki ma Manoa. Olelo aku la i na makua, e like me ke oli a Kahalaopuna, a lohe na makua, hele mai la. A hiki lakou i Pohakea, a ke kumu lehua i waiho ai o Kahalaopuna, huai ae la, a hoi mai la i Manoa, hana ia iho la a ola, a like me mamua.

The news of this restoration of Kahalaopuna to life was carried to Koolau and to the hearing of Kauhi, who came up to see for himself, to pay her a visit and to beg to be loved again; but Kahalaopuna would not listen to him. This is the nature of this legend.

Kui aku la ka lohe ia Kauhi ma Koolau, i ke ola o Kahalaopuna a hele mai la e nana, e ike, e aloha, aole o Kahalaopuna maliu aku, pela ke ano o keia kaao ana.