Synopsis: Entries are now being accepted for the new Hawaiian poetry and writing competition. Entries must be in the Hawaiian language. The deadline is ka Lā Ho’iho’i Ea, July 31.

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale. Ua lohe mai nei paha ‘oukou i kahi mea hou o ka ‘āina?

He mea hou ia e hau’oli ai ka na’au o ka po’e haku mele a kākau mo’olelo paha. I ka Pō’ahā nei, ka lā Ho’omana’o i ka Na’i Aupuni, iā Kamehameha, ua ho’omaka ihola ka ho’okūkū hou, ‘o ia ho’i, He Ho’okūkū Mele A Mo’olelo.

A he hiki i nā kānaka a pau ke komo, mai ke nui a ka li’ili’i.

He ‘elua ho’okūkū, ‘o kekahi, he ho’okūkū haku mele a ‘o kekahi, he ho’okūkū kākau mo’olelo. A ke waiho ‘oe i mele a i mo’olelo paha, a laila, he hiki iā ‘oe ke komo i kekahi māhele o ka ho’okūkū, ‘o ia ho’i, ka māhele wikiō.

Akā, aia nō ‘oe a waiho i kāu mele a mo’olelo paha, a laila, e ho’omaopopo ‘ia aku ‘oe no ia māhele wikiō. No laila, mai nō a hopohopo i ka wikiō, ‘oiai, nāu nō ia e ho’oholo i ke komo a me ke komo ‘ole paha i loko o ia māhele o ka ho’okūkū.

Akā, e ho’omaka ka no’ono’o ‘ana i mele a i mo’olelo paha e luana ai ka lehulehu, a e hiu a’e ka lima i ke kākau.

Eia mai nā mea e pono ai ke mele a me ka mo’olelo paha. He pono ke haku ‘ia a kākau ‘ia paha ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. A ‘o ke mele, he 20 lālani ka pōkole loa, a he 100 lālani ka lō’ihi loa. A ‘o ka mo’olelo (he mo’olelo ‘oia’i’o, a he mo’olelo haku wale paha), he 1,000 hua ‘ōlelo ka pōkole loa, a he 4,000 hua ‘ōlelo ka lō’ihi loa. (‘O ka lō’ihi o kēia kolamu nei, pau pū me nā ho’olaha ‘elua i lalo nei, he 610 hua ‘ōlelo.) A ‘o ka makana, he $500 a i ‘ole ia, ka pahu puke o ka Mo’olelo o Hi’iakaikapoliopele na Hooulumahiehie a me ka unuhi. Aia ke koho i nā mea e lei ana i ka lei o ka lanakila.

E hele aku i www.hawaiianliterature.com no ka palapala waiho mele a mo’olelo a me ka ‘ike e pili ana i nei ho’okūkū. ‘O ka lā hope loa e waiho ai i ke mele a mo’olelo paha, ‘o ia ka Lā Ho’iho’i Ea, ka lā 31 ho’i o ka mahina ‘o Iulai. A e kūkala ‘ia aku ana nā lanakila i ka lā hānau o ka Mō’īwahine Lili’uokalani, ka lā 2 ho’i o ka mahina ‘o Kepakemapa.

Na ka hui ‘o Awaiaulu ka mālama ‘ana i ua ho’okūkū nei, a ‘o nā kānaka nāna ka lawelawe ‘ana i nā hana e pono ai, ‘o ia ‘o Puakea Nogelmeier o Awaiaulu a me ke Kulanui o Hawai’i, ‘o Alex Windell o ka hui ‘o Microsoft Corp., ‘o Kapali Lyon o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i, ‘o Hiapo K. Perreira o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i a me Annette Ku’uipolani Wong o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i.

E ‘a’a i ka hula, waiho ka hilahila i ka hale. A mai nō a poina, ‘o ka Lā Ho’iho’i Ea ka lā hope loa e waiho ai i kāu mele a mo’olelo paha.

Aloha ‘Āina ma Kahana. I ka lā ‘apōpō, ka lā 14 o Iune, e naue aku i Kahana no ka huliāmahi ‘ana ma ke kūkulu ‘ana i ke kuapā o ka loko ‘o Huilua.

E ho’omaka ka hana i ka hola 7:00 o ke kakahiaka a e pau i ke kau ‘ana o ka lā i ka lolo (12:00). A ma hope aku, e pā’ina ana a e ho’okani pila ana a i ka hola 3:00 o ka ‘auinalā.

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