Chapter XXXVIII: Canto XI

The royal feast in the presence of Ku: Kahuilalani giving food in abundance and overflowing; In great abundance of food that men may live. He has an abundance at the assembly of the chiefs. Let all the lands lie hushed in silence; 485. Let the chiefs assemble the multitude into a company, To eat the good collections of the land. Let the land of Maui belonging to Kama be searched, And the four islands of Kalakaua; Let Oahu first be swept clean by Kuihewa; 490. Let the region of Ewa [be swept], even Lihue of Hoalani, O thou white land, thou child of Laa. The land of Kauai appears belonging to Manokalani, The island of Kealohikikaupea. Come ye [to Hawaii] and dwell with propriety; 495. Sit down at the feast of the chief that he may be honored. The chief holds a feast throughout Hawaii. The line of separation is set up, a line from ancient times; The cord, the sign of separation; And the chief is separated like the head-dress from the head. 500. The cord [called] Mahilipine and Mahilika, The cord manawaauea, The cord even to show a person [not to enter]. To sit down also, to sit silently in rows— The knees alike, holding fast the legs, 505. That the service might be proper in the congregation of the island. Let Kohala people crowd in; slip along a little, Let the valley people move over with Waipio’s; Let Koolau’s people go out separate; Let Hilo be beautiful to those observing, 510. That they may see clearly the breasts of the people. Let Hiloone crawl upon the knees; so Waiakea, Let Puna stay, the land blown on by the wind. Kau sits uprightly, sits quietly, Kona sits undisturbed as in a calm. 515. Kona is under a kapu respecting awa, they are in pleasure together For the chief’s sake, for Paiea, for Liloa. Red is the koaekolo, a koae from Nihoa. The singing voice of the pleasure conch is heard; The conch proclaiming a kapu is sounded, 520. The kapu of the chief is determined on, The sound rings through Kona, the awa is kapu; The awa kapu by the chief, the kapu of the chief. The living awa of the chief, let him live to old age. The feasting awa of the chief till he walks with his staff; 525. The feasting awa of the chief till he walks in a tremor; The feasting awa of the chief till he goes on four, When he sits doubled up, bound fast, unable to speak. But the king’s awa causes men to sit still; The awa of the kapu Koolei to the time when old age seizes the hands, 530. To the sixth generation, to the seventh, To the eighth, to the ninth, [Till the] chief becomes dark water. The chief drank in Kona, at Kahaluu, Of the water of Waiakapo. 535. He destroyed the youngest child of Umi In the calm of Ehukaipo. In the time of the hot sun when it was calm, In the bosom of Ahuina there at Kailua He ate to the full, was satisfied with the fat of the island. 540. Let the chief eat; The chief ate the rich dainties of the land. He ate consuming the property of the island; The remnant was burnt, it was thrown into the pit of filth; Into the vomit of Hawaii. 545. Into the chewed matter of the chief throughout the island.