ith
[Page 194] the glow of morning, _O ia nei ko ka ehu kakahiaka_ (verse
7). The epithet _kanaka_ hints ironically that her rival is
of lower rank than herself, though in reality the rank of her
rival may have been superior to her own.

The language, as pointed out by the author's informant, is
marked with an elegance that stamps it as the product of a
courtly circle.

_Mele_

E oe mauna i ka ohu,
Kaha, ka leo o ka ohi'a;
Auwe! make au i ke ahi a mau
A ka luahine[346] moe nana,
5 A papa enaena, wai hau,
A wa'a kau-hi.[347]
Haila pepe[348] mua me pepe waena,
O pepe ka muimui:
O kiele[348] i na ulu[348]
10 Ka makaha kai kea
O Niheu[349] kolohe;
Ka makaha kai kea!
Eli-eli, kau mai.

[Translation]

_Song_

Ho! mountain of vapor-puffs,
Now groans the mountain-apple tree.
Alas! I burn in this deathless flame,
That is fed by the woman who snores
5 On a lava plate, now hot, now cold;
Now 'tis a canoe full-rigged for sea;
There are seats at the bow, amidships, abaft;
Baggage and men--all is aboard.

And now the powerful thrust of the paddle,
[Page 195] 10 Making mighty swirl of wat'ry yeast,
As of Niheu, the mischief-maker--
A mighty swirl of the yeasty wave.
In heavea's name, come aboard!

[Footnote 346: Pele is often spoken of as _ka luahine_, the old
woman; but she frequently used her power of transformation to
appear as a young woman of alluring beauty.]

[Footnote 347: Lava poured out in plates and folds and coils
resembles many diverse things, among others the canoe, _wa'a_
here characterized as complete in its appointments and ready
for launching, _kauhi_. The words are subtly intended, no
doubt, to convey the thought of Pele's readiness to launch on
the voyage of matrimony.]

[Footnote 348: _Pepe_, a seat; _kiele_, to paddle; and _ulu_, a
shortened form of the