Chapter XXXII: Canto V

This has grown into an island sacrifice by the chief, O Malelekuala, O Pokikaina, O Kahuaole, O Naka, 135. O Kakae, son of Kahekili, the offering prayer is now made. The sacrifice is proclaimed aloud to the one father: The fresh honors of his kingdom Are drawn along before him as a dead body slain in battle; They are dragged hither, the districts are drawn with ropes. 140. Who is this person, O chief, now to be offered in sacrifice? Let the multitude shout aloud. We, we two here, men of Kukapalani, From above is the man to be sacrificed. What sacrifice is this? A sacrifice of the Island. The chief has a royal robe, the swelling bud of a chief is his child. 145. The prayer by night and by day belongs to the priest declaring ancient times. It belongs to the god to reveal the long past, it is for the people to sustain the land everywhere. The chief offered a sacrifice, the island was free from war. The chief offered Puna in sacrifice, of a small part of Kapueokahi. Where the air is dry, the land is burnt, the pits have no moisture, 150. In the dark world, no clouds float. The torches of the lands are set up, the sea-moss stands erect for the chief. To the pious one, to the chief, belongs the island; To the resident under Ku, the chief greatly loved by Lono; A precious one to the forty thousand gods; 155. A descendant of Maliu also of Kaekae. Conceived and born of such, he wishes to act the pious man. While even yet unborn, the chief was a breaker of nuts, He broke the young coconuts of the night— Fresh coconuts of clear water, clear as the light. 160. Akea remained unknown in ancient times, now appears upon the rostrum. Appears the wonder of the island. The image gods now stand full in their places; In the house built for the gods, there the people hear the worship. ’Tis ours to listen to the sounds we now hear, 165. A sound of island flight perhaps. Not indeed long ago the island people fled At the setting of the sun; Hilo fled in the evening, Puna fled in the morning, at the sun’s high noon Kau fled. All done quickly in a single day. 170. Quickly were they subdued by strength, dizzy the island rolled over and over; Hawaii was tamed by the chief and his warriors; They consult respecting the koali blossom, a balm for the eyeball of the island, That the obscurity of the eye might cease. The white matter flows out from the eye, 175. The wild gushing tears cease to fall. The island also was untamed, that the chief well knew. On his becoming guardian it was more and more tamed, It was caught with a rope, the voice soothing the island was a net, It was well fed with the bait, it was choked with the cuttle-fish. 180. He fed the small fish, he gathered them together like the bonito, He filled their open mouths with the bait. Streams of country people of the island follow; Here the red tail of the land sweeps around Like a well fed favorite dog. 185. Shall these lands escape from Kaiolenakamau, The first of soldiers that ever appeared? He is a soldier of uncommon personage, strangely unlike another, The hair of his head stands erect; Bristling upwards are the hairs of the head of Keohohiwa. 190. A dark redness all over had the chief; A ferocious boar, a swine strong rooting, Up-turning the islands; The island is enlarged by the chief, he obtained it in the day of [his] strength.