Ka Wehena: Ha‘a Ka Wahine

‘Ae, Ha‘a ka wahine Ha‘a ka wahine i kai o Nanahuki I kai o Ha‘ena Puna ka wahine Hōpoe leilehua, Poli o Hi‘iaka Hula le‘a ka wahine Kapo Laka ē I Ha‘ena la, kahi kapu ka wahine Noho mehameha i kai o Hōpoe Kahe ‘ula ‘ena‘ena mai Kilau‘ea Huki wale ‘o Pele i ka lehua i kai ē Hū a‘ela ka lehua ‘ena‘ena ala Ho‘olewa i kai, ha‘a o Hōpoe He aloha ko Hi‘iaka, pili ka wahine I Puna leilehua pulu i ka ‘āina ē Puana ‘ia mai ha‘a ka wahine I kai o Ha‘ena Puna ka wahine Hōpoe leilehua, Poli o Hi‘iaka I Puna leilehua pulu i ka ‘āina ē He mele nō Hōpoe, ha‘a ka wahine

Woman of the dance At Nanahuki, a woman dances There Ha‘ena, a woman of Puna Precious Hōpoe, a lei of Hi‘iaka Hōpoe of Kapo Laka At Ha‘ena, indeed a sacred woman Alone at the shoreline is Hōpoe From Kilau‘ea, a radiant flow arrives Pele, destroying the lehua groves Lehua is turned into stone Upon the sea, Hōpoe dances Indeed loved by Hi‘iaka In Puna, tears upon the land It is shared, a woman dances There Ha‘ena, a woman of Puna Precious Hōpoe, a lei of Hi‘aka In Puna, tears upon the land A song of Hōpoe, a woman dances

Eō mai nā wahine o ka hula, ‘o Hōpoe ke kumu hula o kēia mokupuni o Hawai‘i. I Puna ala kahi i noho ai ‘o Hōpoe me Ha‘ena ā na lāua nō ke hoa aloha iā Hi‘iakaikapolioPele. Ma kai o Nanahuki, na Hi‘iakaikapolioPele i a‘o i ka hula me ia mau wahine ‘elua. I ka ha‘alele ‘ana ‘o Hi‘iakaikapolioPele i Kaua‘i, na Pele i mālama ia mau wahine ‘elua me nā lehua i Puna ala. I ka ho‘i lohi ‘ana ‘o Hi‘iakaikapolioPele, ua pau ‘o Hōpoe lāua ‘o Ha‘ena iā Pele i Puna. He aloha pili i waena o ia mau wahine ‘ekolu; ‘o Hōpoe ‘oe, ‘o Ha‘ena ‘oe a ‘o Hi‘iakaikapolioPele ‘oe. He aloha nō!

Honor to the women of the hula, Hōpoe the teacher of hula from the island of Hawai‘i. In the district of Puna resides Hōpoe and Ha‘ena, dear friends of Hi‘iakaikapolioPele. On the shores of Nanahuki, Hi‘iakaikapolioPele learned the hula with these gracious women. When Hi‘iakaikapolioPele journeyed to Kaua‘i, Pele promised to care for these women (Hōpoe and Ha‘ena) and the lehua groves of Puna. Because of Hi‘iakaikapolioPele’s extended journey, Hōpoe and Ha‘ena were turned into stone by Pele in Puna. Hōpoe, Ha‘ena and Hi‘iakaikapolioPele loved each other so dearly! Indeed Love….

Hula is healing nurtured by the love of the elements, the love of sacred places and the love for each other.

Contact writer Kumu Keala Ching