Read this article in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
By J. Kimo Alama Keaulana
ʻOlepau was the name of a certain famous chief of Maui in olden times. One day, He really wanted to eat ʻuaʻu (petrel). He called to a certain priest who lived at Kaukini, a mountain above Kahakuloa. Lunahoʻomoe was the name of this kahuna.
Lunahoʻomoe had two sons. They were famed for their good looks. There were none who could compare to the handsomeness of his sons. Lunahoʻomoe was skilled at snaring birds. ʻOlepau commanded Lunahoʻomoe to snare ʻuaʻu for him.
Lunahoʻomoe told ʻOlepau, “There are no ʻuaʻu in the mountains, the ʻuaʻu are not nesting in this season.” Some other men heard this, and they went before the chief. In the chief’s presence, they said, “Lunahoʻomoe has lied, oh heavenly one. There are ʻuaʻu to be snared.”
These men went to the sea and they snared ʻuaʻu for the chief. But the meat of the mature birds was tough. Evil was harbored within these men. ʻOlepau was furious with Lunahoʻomoe! The chief ordered that the priest be put to death by fire!
But these ʻuaʻu were tough to chew! It was not tasty! Lunahoʻomoe and his sons dearly loved ʻOlepau. They had faithfully served their chief honestly. Here is the chant that the sons of Lunahoʻomoe composed:
Behold Kaukini [where there is] a fisher
of birds,
A net is cast open in the mist of Pōkahi
Soaked by the slanting fog.
Reaching higher in the heights of
Kaʻauana.
The fog flurries to trap the birds of
Pūoaliʻi.
It is solely the chief that is my desire,
The one whom we both serve along with
the concerned one here,
Here it is known . . . I miss [serving the
royal one] . . .
In the second line, this is the deceptive act. In the third line, this is the unknowing of the chief of this evil act. In the fourth line, this is the evil deed of the deceptive men. In the fifth line, this is the trickery done to the chief. The sixth line is the great love the kahuna had for his chief. The seventh line is about the sons of the kahuna.
Skilled and ingenious were the composers of former times.
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