Noho Ka Mākua Mana Loa
Noho Ka Mākua mana loa i loko o kākou
God is among us
‘Ike ‘ia i Ke Keiki ‘o Iesu
Known through the Son, Jesus
Me Ka ‘Uhane Hemolele, e malu e hoe
With the most Holy Spirit, guide and protect us
E ho‘oulu mai iā mākou i ho‘olōkahi ‘ia
Make us grow, we, who are gathered as one
I ke aloha
In the love
I ka ‘oli
In the joy
O kō alo e
Of your presence
From the collections of D.J.U. Duhaylonsod from the St. Rita Nanakuli ‘ohana, with the guidance of Father Alapaki Kim, Aunty Brenda Levy and Aunty Amy Kawelo Zizzi.
We recall the ‘olelo no’eau, “He po’i na kai uli, kai ko’o,‘a‘ohe hina ke ko‘a”, which translates as “Though the sea be deep and rough, the coral rock remains standing.” Besides “coral”, ko’a also means “fishing grounds” as well as “a fishing shrine constructed to make fish multiply.” Therefore, this ‘olelo no’eau also conveys that our fishing grounds and our fishing shrine have withstood the test of time. The kaona behind this proverb praises those who remain steadfast in the face of difficult times. Like this proverb proclaims, we affirm our steadfastness despite the negative changes to our home sands. We rally to restore our coastal waters which connect with the subterranean waters from our summits, a gift of life-giving water from above. We rally to help our environment thrive, knowing that in return, our environment help our community thrive as well.
Holoholo Wes’side
HA‘AHEO KA MOKUPUNI
O KĀKUHIHEWA
NĀ KŪLANAKAUHALE NANI LUA‘OLE
MA KA ‘AO‘AO ʽEWA
‘IKE KOKE ‘IA ‘O HONOKAI HALE,
HO‘OKAHI ‘OHANA
MA KALAELOA, (KA) HOME A ‘O KAMOKILA
EIA ‘O LANIKŪHONUA
KA ‘ĀINA HO‘OPULAPULA MA‘ANEʽ.
MA NĀNĀKULI MA HOPE O KA PU’U A ‘O HELEAKALĀ KE ALA KOLEKOLE
I MĀʿILI HE KAHAKAI PUNAHELE
NO NĀ PĀ‘INA
I WAI‘ANAE NO HO‘I, MA NENE‘U BAY
KIA‘I ‘O KA‘ALA NUI
AIA I MĀKAHA KA NALU KAULANA
(HE) ALAIA O LAHILAHI
AIA I MĀKUA KAPU ‘O KĀNEANA
KE AWAAWA A PAU LIKE PŪ (AUE!)
‘O KA‘ENA HANOHANO KA PANINA
‘O KA HUAKA‘I
PUANA KE ALOHA NO KĒIA KUA‘ĀINA
KE ONE O KĀKUHIHEWA
Proud is the island
Of Kākuhihewa
And her villages, second to none,
Going out ‘Ewa side to the Waiʿanae Coast
Honokai Hale is the first village we encounter
One big family
Nearby is the home of Lady Kamokila
Where “heaven touches the earth”!
Next are the homestead lands Of Nānākuli
And behind Heleakalā
Is Kolekole Pass
Māʿili is a favorite beach
For family parties
As is Wai‘anae, at Nene‘u Bay
While great Ka‘ala stands guard
Mākaha has its famous surf
Lahilahi sticks out like a surfboard
Mākua has its sacred places
But auwe, the military says Keep Out
Glorious Ka‘ena is the end
Of our journey
Tell about our love for this countryside
The sands of Chief Kākuhihewa
This mele was composed by Kaiaululua Kane in 1988.
It speaks of the modern-day villages one encounters when visiting the Waiʿanae Coast.
