Chapter XXXIX: Canto XII

Here is thy island, O chief! The top knot of hair of him standing erect; The flowing dawn of the rising god [Oulu]. Above Oulu he lies 550. Above the kapu gods, even Lono; Above the relatives of ancient chiefs. O thou chief,— Thou Kalaninuikuhiwakawaka; Thou dispersest light every way, thou showest thy descendants— 555. Thy descendants have passed before the chief. There was the striking, the boxing is past; The fighting assault, the royal contest; The kapued prostration of the boxers, The boxing going forth, he is the strong ohia; 560. The ohia tree, the devoted to Ku. Ku separates the ohias. Wonderful is his exclamation. A broad leafed ohia, a heiau of living sacrifice Before the heiau, even Kanoa. 565. There shall be led the multitude of worshipers, O thou who hast destroyed the land! Tell thou to the chief what is right; To his counselors of the island; To Ku, even Kunuiakea. 570. At evening bow down at kapu service of the island: In the morning put up the twisted cord over all the island; On that day proclaim throughout the land The konohiki is a leaning tree. O ye poor people, changing this way and that, 575. The dark haired, the red, the standing hair, the curly haired, the long smooth haired; The malo upon the loins; The tatued thigh, the cunning mouth where the chief lives. The multitude of that war, The hosts of this war, 580. Ye flatterers, stingy, slippery in thought, go farther off; Ye whose office is swollen words, paying with vanity; To please, to feed the vanity; To satisfy [the chief] in his house. The chief has a lameness, 585. The parent is a kinsman, the kindred are possessors of land. These indeed are the people about the king Exciting him to go this way and that, Taxing themselves much to think for him Seeking out their personal skill. 590. Pull away [ye advisers], pull away, Let the root of Kuaana be pulled up; The tap root, the side roots of Kekuahuia; The roots of Akaanuioleloloa. Pick off its leaf bud and let it dry, 595. Let him sidle down. Go for the huli, let it grow thriftily, O thou chief! spread abroad, increase the people; Assemble the people for Puna, for Kukii, These are all Kamehameha’s people, 600. The kapu of Lono is at an end. The chief is engaged in religious thoughts and deeds, At Wahaula [temple] is his engagement. There indeed will end the passing year; The chief will begin a new year in Puna. 605.