Oli

PIKO features four oli (chants) recited by Lanakila Mangauil. They are the first sixteen lines of the Kumulipo, ʻO Hānau Ka Mauna, He Mele No Kāne, and Maunakea Kuahiwi. Lyrics and English language translations available below.

Kumulipo

O ke au i kahuli wela ka hōnua

O ke au i kahuli lole ka lani

O ke au i kuka‘iaka ka la 

E ho‘omalamalama i ka malama 

O ke au o Makali‘i ka pō 

O ka walewale ho‘okumu hōnua ia

O ke kumu o ka lipo, i lipo ai 

O ke kumu o ka Pō, i pō ai 

O ka lipolipo, o ka lipolipo 

O ka lipo o ka la, o ka lipo o ka po 

Pō wale hoʻi

Hānau ka pō

Hānau Kumulipo i ka pō, he kāne 

Hānau Po‘ele i ka po, he wahine

At the time when the earth became hot

At the time when the heavens turned about 

At the time when the sun was darkened 

To cause the moon to shine 

The time of the rise of the Pleiades 

The slime, this was the source of the earth 

The source of the darkness that made darkness 

The source of the night that made night 

The intense darkness, the deep darkness 

Darkness of the sun, darkness of the night 

Nothing but night 

The night gave birth 

Born was Kumulipo in the night, a male 

Born was Po‘ele in the night, a female


ʻO Hānau Ka Mauna

O hānau ka mauna a Kea

ʻŌpuʻu aʻe ka mauna a Kea

ʻO Wākea ke kāne

ʻO Papa o Walinuʻu ka wahine

Hānau Hoʻohoku he wahine

Hānau Hāloa he aliʻi

Hānau ka mauna he keiki mauna na Kea

ʻO ka lili o Wākea o ka haʻi i ka hala

ʻO ke kū kukū lāʻau ʻana me Kane

I hoʻouka ai i loko o Kahikiku

Heʻe Wākea kālewa kona ʻōhua

Kuamū ʻia e Kāne, kuawa ʻia e Kāne

Hoʻi mai Wākea a loko o lani momoe

Moe Wākea moe iā Papa

Hānau ka lā na Wākea

He keiki kapu na Wākea

ʻO ka uluna o Wākea na Kea nō

Hānau ka mauna he makahiapo kapu na Kea

ʻOia hoʻi hā ʻo ka mauna, Hānau ka mauna

ʻO ka mauna auaneʻi ko lalo nei lā

ʻO wai lā auaneʻi ko luna lā? ʻO wai lā? 

ʻO ka lā, aia, aia hoʻi hā!

Born of Kea was the mountain.

The mauna of Kea budded forth.

Wakea was the husband,

Papa Walinuu was the wife.

Born was Hoohoku, a daughter,

Born was Haloa, a chief,

Born was the mountain, a mountain-son of Kea.

Jealous was Wakea, he revealed his fault,

Told of his smiting Kane with a club,

In battle, fought at Kahikiku.

Wakea was routed, fled in confusion with his family.

None spoke to Wakea save in whispers, but Kane shouted.

Wakea returned to the sky seeking a wife.

Wakea mated with Papa,

The sun was born to Wakea,

A sacred off-shoot of Wakea,

The growth of Wakea was Wakeaʻs own.

The mountain was born, the sacred first-born of Kea.

So it was that the Mauna came forth with great force!

Hereafter, the Mauna shall be below,

Who shall be there above?

It is the Sun after all!

He Mele No Kāne

He ui, he nīnau

E ui aku ana au iā ʻoe: 

Aia i hea ka wai a Kāne? 

Aia i ka hikina a ka lā 

Puka i Haʻehaʻe

Aia i Kaulanakalā

I ka pae ʻōpua i ke kai 

Ea mai ana ma Nihoa 

Ma ka mole mai o Lehua 

Aia i ke kuahiwi, i ke kualono 

I ke awāwa, i ke kahawai

Aia i kai, i ka moana

I ke Kualau, i ke ānuenue 

I ka pūnohu, i ka uakoko 

I ka ʻālewalewa

Aia i luna ka wai a Kāne

I ke ao ouli, i ke ao ʻeleʻele

I ke ao panopano

I ke ao pōpolohua mea a Kāne lā ē 

Aia i laila ka wai a Kāne.

Aia i lalo, i ka honua, i ka wai hū 

I ka wai kau a Kāne me Kanaloa 

He waipuna, he wai e inu

He wai e mana, he wai e ola. E ola nō eā.


A query, a question

I put to you:

Where is the water of Kāne?

At the eastern gate

Where the sun comes in at Haʻehaʻe 

Out there at Kaulanakalā

Where cloud forms rest on ocean’ s breast,

Raising their forms at Nihoa,

This side of the base of Lehua,

Yonder on mountain peak, on the ridges steep, 

In the valleys deep, where the rivers sweep 

Yonder, at sea, on the ocean

In the driving rain, in the heavenly bow,

In the piled-up mist-wraith, in the blood-red rainfall, 

In the ghost-pale cloud-form,

Up on high is the water of Kāne,

In the heavenly blue, in the black piled cloud, 

In the black-black cloud,

In the black-mottled sacred cloud of the gods, 

There is the water of Kāne.

Deep in the ground, in the gushing spring, 

In the ducts of Kāne and Kanaloa,

A wellspring of water, water to quaff

A water of magic power, the water of life! Life! 



Maunakea Kuahiwi

Maunakea kuahiwi

Kūhaʻo i ka mālie

Ka piko ʻolu o Maunakea ē

I kū i kahua o Poliahu

Ka wahine kapa anu o Maunakea

ʻImi i kēlā kio wai i kapa ʻia

ʻO Kahoupōakāne ʻimi I kēlā wai ʻo Waiau

Lili luna ʻo Poliahu i ka noe a ka ua

Ka ua noe paʻu pili hau no Lilinoe

Paʻa nā hale ʻohu ma kahi

ʻO Kūkahauʻula i ka hoʻolale a ke kēhau makani o lalo

E nānā iho ʻo Poliahu i ke kō

A ke aloha ē