Synopsis: This is a dirge composed for my dear mother who passed on June 13, 2013. Some significant thoughts about her and the composition of this kanikau are also shared.

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Ua oli ‘ia kēia kanikau ma ko Violet Lai ho’olewa e a’u, kāna keiki kāne ‘o Morris Kimo Lai ma ke ‘ano ho’ouēuē.

No Popi ka pua ‘a’ala o

….Pālama.

No Kapa’a mai kona

….makuahine Alma Mew Ha;

….’o Kapa’a i ka malu o

…..Wai’ale’ale ‘.

No Wahiawā mai kona

….Tūtūwahine kuakahi

….Hawai’i; ‘o Wahiawā ma

….Kaua’i kēia.

Ua hānai ‘ia i nā kau a kau a

….mōhala he pua mokihana

….o ke kau wela a he pua

….’ilima o ka ho’oilo.

Ua kula ‘ia he haumāna

….maika’i ma lalo o ke kula o

….Papakōlea, he “rough

….rider” nō ho’i.

‘O Popi lāua me KP/Gungie:

….Pili kau, pili ho’oilo. Ua

….hilo ‘ia i ke aho o ke aloha.

No nā mamo, Alma, Morris,

….a me Barbara, ‘o Popi ke

….ko’o o ka hale i pa’a ai.

Ua hele a noho he

….ali’iwahine o ka hale

….waihona puke o ke kula

….nui ‘o Honolulu.

Ua ho’omaha i ka ‘olu o

….Kaimukī, i ka ulu

….hiwahiwa o ka laua’e.

He pakalana ha’aha’a, he

….punahele o ke awāwa.

Auē, ua mae ia pua. Ua

….nalowale ka makuahine,

….ka tūtū, ‘o Popi. ‘A’ole e

….ho’i mai.

Aloha ‘oe e Popi; Aloha ‘oe e

….Vi; Aloha ‘oe e kā Gungie

….wahine; Aloha ‘oe e ku’u

….Māmā; Aloha ‘oe e ko

….kākou makana makamae.

Ma mua pono o ka hala ‘ana o ku’u māmā, hū mai ko’u mana’o e haku i kanikau nona. Akā, ‘a’ole au mākaukau ma ka haku kanikau; no laila, ua nonoi au iā Kalani Akana, he kumu hula, i ke kōkua mai ia’u ma ka haku ‘ana i kanikau. Pōmaika’i nō ho’i no ka mea, ua ‘ae ‘o Kalani e kāko’o mai ia’u. Ua ho’omaka māua me kekahi mau mea nui e pili ana i ku’u makuahine: Ua hānau a hānai ‘ia ku’u māmā ma kekahi hale ma Pua Lane ma kahi o Pālama. Ma kona wā ‘ōpiopio, ua hele aku nei ‘o ia i Kaua’i i kēlā me kēia kau wela no ke kipa i kona mau tūtū.

‘O kāna hana punahele, ‘o ia ka ‘ohi’ohi i nā pua like ‘ole o Kaimukī ma ke awāwa ‘o Pālolo, no ka hana ‘ana i ke kāleka pua.

I ka hapanui o kona manawa tūtū, ua kapa ‘ia ‘o ia ‘o “Popi.” Nui loa nā makamaka o Popi. A he mea ma’a mau ko lākou kipa ‘ana iā ia i kona hale.

A hiki i ka hala o Gungie, kā Popi kāne, ua male lāua no kanahiku kumamākahi makahiki. Ma hope o ko Popi ho’olewa, kūkākūkā māua ‘o Kalani Akana e pili ana i ka pa’i i ke kanikau o Popi ma ka nūpepa e like me ka wā ma mua. ‘Ano hopohopo nō wau no ka mea, ‘ano hemahema au ma ka ‘ōlelo makuahine, akā ma hope o kekahi wā no’ono’o, ua mana’o au, he mea maika’i loa no ku’u māmā, no nā kūpuna ‘ē a’e, no ka nohona Hawai’i, a no’u nō ho’i. Hiki ia’u ke lohe i kēia manawa i ka leo nahenahe o ku’u māmā:

“Mai hilahila e ku’u keiki kāne. Maika’i loa nā nohona Hawai’i. ‘Oi aku ka ho’ā’o ‘ana ma mua o kou hopohopo wale nō i ka hemahema.”

Makemake au e pani i kēia mo’olelo nūpepa me ka mahalo i ku’u mau kumu: Ko’u mau mākua, Popi lāua ‘o Gungie, a me ka’u mau kumu a’o ‘ōlelo Hawai’i: ‘o Kauanoe Kimura, ‘o Pua Anthony (Hopkins), ‘o ‘Ioli’i Hawkins, ‘o Ipo Wong, ‘o Kalani Akana, a me ka’u kumu mele/oli ‘o Ho’oulu Cambra. E ho’omau i ka nohona Hawai’i.

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

» kwong@hawaii.edu

» rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

» 956-2627 (Laiana)

» 956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.