Synopsis: An exciting O’ahu Interscholastic Association Division I Championship game brings to mind one of our ‘ōlelo no’eau, Pū’ali ka hau nui i ka hau iki.

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Welina mai e nā makamaka heluhelu o Kauakū-kalahale. I ka pō Pō’ahā nei ka mālama ‘ia ‘ana o nā ho’okūkū inoa moho o ka Māhele I a me ka Māhele II o ka ‘Ahahui Kula Aupuni o O’ahu. I ke Kula Ki’eki’e ‘o Makinalē kahi i mālama ‘ia ai ia mau ho’okūkū a i hele aku ko ‘oukou mea kākau i laila no ka māka’ika’i ‘ana aku i ka ho’okūkū inoa moho o ka Māhele II, kahi i kū’ē aku ai ke Kula Ki’eki’e ‘o Kalani i ke Kula Ki’eki’e ‘o Kaiser, ‘oiai, he mea pā’ani pōpō hīna’i kahi keiki hanauna no ke Kula Ki’eki’e ‘o Kalani. Aloha nō na’e nā keiki o laila, na Kaiser i ‘āha’i aku i ka lanakila i ia ahiahi. Ma hope o ia ho’okūkū, ua ho’oholo ihola ka ‘ohana o ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ko lākou mana’o e māka’ika’i aku i ka lua o ka ho’okūkū, kahi e kū’ē ana ‘o Farrington iā Kahuku ma muli o ka ‘ike ‘ana i ko Kahuku i ka ho’oma’ama’a ‘ana i ka wā ho’omaha o waena o ka ho’okūkū Māhele II. I ka nānā, he keu aku a Kahuku a ka hui ikaika. Ma ia wā ho’oma’ama’a, me he mea lā, e pakā ana ka hapanui o nā mea pā’ani o Kahuku. ‘O ka mea pā’ani lō’ihi loa o Kahuku, he ‘eono ona kapua’i me ‘ehiku ‘īniha. A ‘o kekahi, he ‘eono kapua’i, ‘eono ‘īniha, a ‘o kekahi, he ‘eono kapua’i, ‘elima ‘īniha. A ua lohe ‘ia nō ho’i ‘o Keanu Akina o Kahuku, he maika’i wale kāna kī kolu ‘ana. No laila, kuhi ihola ko ‘oukou mea kākau, he wai ‘au’au ana ia no Kahuku, ‘oiai, i ka nānā ‘ana i ko Farrington, he ‘eono kapua’i, ‘elua ‘īniha o ka mea lō’ihi loa, a pōkole mai ke koena. A i ka nānā ‘ana aku i ka ho’oma’ama’a, ‘a’ole i maika’i loa. A makemake ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ka ho’ōho ‘ana a me ke kāko’o ‘ana i ka i’a li’ili’i. A ‘o ia ihola ka mea e kau a’ela kahi ‘ōlelo no’eau i luna i po’o mana’o no kēia lā, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘o Pū’ali ka hau nui i ka hau iki.

‘O kahi mea nani, ua hō’ike mai kahi kupuna, ‘o Kakae Kaleiheana kona inoa, no ua ‘ōlelo no’eau nei a penei kāna ‘ōlelo, “…no keiki kēlā mea e ‘ōlelo ai auē…..ka ‘oni maila nō ia o kāu mo’opuna a kau pono i luna ou a mea a’ela nō ho’i ē pū’ali nō ho’i ka hau nui i ka hau iki..hiki ‘ole ‘oe ke ‘alo a’e. Aia nō ‘o ia nei a kau mai i luna ou a ‘o ia ka mea i puka ai kēlā ‘ano ‘ōlelo…pū’ali ka hau nui i ka hau iki. The little kids a kamali’i e..ka ‘oni ihola nō ia..aia a kau pono i luna o kūpuna a nanea a ke wala’au nei kūpuna i nā ‘ano mo’olelo wala’au..pēia ihola..’o ia ka mea i puka ai kēlā hua ‘ōlelo.” Kohu mea lā, ‘o ia kau ‘ana o ka mo’opuna i luna o ke kupuna a hiki ‘ole i ke kupuna ke ‘alo a’e, ‘o ia ka mea i pū’ali ai ka hau nui i ka hau iki. A wehewehe mai ‘o Mary Kawena Pukui ma kāna puke, he ‘ōlelo ia no ke eo ‘ana o kahi pū’ali koa nui i kahi pū’ali koa li’ili’i.

A pēlā nō ka ho’okūkū o Farrington a me Kahuku. I ka ulele ‘ana o ka ho’okūkū a pau ka hapahā mua, e ‘oi ana ‘o Kahuku, he 11 i ka ‘elima a Farrington. ‘A’ole nō i hā’awi pio iki nā Kia’āina, a i ka hopena o ka hapahā ‘elua, ua pa’i a pa’i, he 20 i ka 20. Ua hahana ‘i’o nō ke kaua a hiki i ka hopena. A ua kō nō kahi ‘ōlelo no’eau a kākou, ‘o ia ho’i ua pū’ali ka hau nui i ka hau iki, ua kā’ili nō nā Kia’āina o Farrington i ka lanakila mai nā lima wīkani mai o nā keiki o Kahuku.

A no laila, eia nō ko ‘oukou mea kākau ke ha’i aku nei, ‘o ke alu like a me ka hana ‘eleu a me ka hiu ‘ana a me ke ku’upau ‘ana, he mau mea nui ia a he mea ‘ole paha ka nui o ke kino, no ka mea, “he li’ili’i ka ‘ukulele, naue na’e kino nui.” I loko o ia pakā nui ‘ana o nā mea pā’ani o Kahuku ma ia wā ho’omaha ma ka ho’okūkū mua, he ho’okahi wale nō paha pakā ‘ana ma ka wā e ‘ā’ume’ume ana me nā Kia’āina. Ho’omaika’i iā ‘oukou e nā Kia’āina, nā inoa moho o ka ‘Ahahui Kula Aupuni o O’ahu, ua nani wale kā ‘oukou pā’ani ‘ana.

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