Hawai`i Pono`i

Written by King David Kalakaua
Music by Prof. Henry Berger, the Royal Bandmaster

Hawaii ponoi Nana i kou, moi
Kalani Alii, ke Alii.
Makua lani e Kamehameha e
Na kaua e pale Me ka i he.

(translation)

Hawaii’s own true sons, be loyal to your chief
Your country’s liege and lord, the Alii.1
Father above us all, Kamehameha,2
Who guarded in the war with his ihe,3

1. Alii (ah-lee-ee) sovereign
2. Kamehameha (Kah-may’-ha-may’-ha) king who first unified the islands.
3. Ihe (ee-hay) spear
Submitted by: Michelle Quigley, The Palm Beach Post
Source: Hawaii Visitor’s Bureau

Shoreline up on the Kohala Coast

The 5 vowels a,e,i,o and u as well as the 7 consonants h,k,l,m,n,p, and w make up the entire Hawaiian alphabet.

In the Hawaiian language a consonant is always followed by a vowel which also means all Hawaiian words end in a vowel.

Names and words are more easily pronounced when they are broken down into single syllable chunks. Take the name of Hawaii’s state fish, humuhumunukunukuapua’a, and pronounce it hu-mu-hu-mu-nu-ku-nu-ku-a-pu-a-a. Phonetically pronounced who-moo-who-moo-new-coo-new-coo-ah-poo-ah-ah.

Sometimes the letter W is pronounced the same as V as in the traditional pronunciation of Hawai’i which is phonetically pronounced huh-vi-ee rather than huh-why-ee.

Stressed vowels
a – ah, as in car: aloha
e – a, as in may: nene
i – ee, as in bee: honi
o – oh, as in so: mahalo
u – oo, as in spoon: kapu

Unstressed vowels
a – a, as in about: ali`i
e – eh, as in met: kane

Greenwell Farm's Living History Display

The Portuguese from the Azores and Madeira started coming to Kona in the 1870s to work in the ranching industry in Hawaii. Where they settled they would build these stone ovens and bake their breads, soon they began baking and selling the breads to supplement their income.

Portuguese Sweet Bread hot from the wood fired oven Thursdays 10-1

It’s a great thing to see this artful process and witness the excitement on the faces of those waiting for the freshly baked warm bread straight from the outdoor oven. A splendid delight with a pat of butter a tasty part of Hawaiian History.

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The Kona Historical Society offices, H.N. Greenwell Store, and the Portuguese stone oven are all located on Mamalahoa Highway (Highway 11), about 14 miles south of the town of Kailua-Kona, between mile markers 111 and 112. Look for our sign on the makai (toward the ocean) side of the road. GPS: N19° 30.647 W 155° 55.225

northwest, in Kohala

Many people pass through the Big Island and never bother to think what the meaning of the town names in Hawaiian.

Here is a small sampling of a few of the more common place names on the Big Island and their Hawaiian meanings:

Hilo- First night of the Hawaiian moon calendar, new moon
Honoka’a- Rolling Bay
Kailua- Two Ocean Currents
Kilauea-Spewing Volcanic Eruption
Puna- Spring of water
Waimea- Reddish Water

Ho’i Hou Ke Aloha – Let us fall in love all over again
Hokeo – To secretly love
Ia Iho Ke Aloha – To my love
Ka Honi Mai Me Ke Aloha – And with love is a kiss
Ke Aloha – Beloved
Kipona Aloha – Deep love
Mea Aloha – Loved one
Me Ke Aloha Pumehana – With the warmth of my love

hula dancer at sunset

What I have always longed for was the privilege of living forever away up on one of those mountains in the Sandwich Islands overlooking the sea…. no alien land in all the world has any deep strong charm for me but that one, no other land could so longingly and so beseechingly haunt me, sleeping and waking, through half a lifetime, as that one has done. Other things leave me, but it abides, other things change, but it remains the same… – Mark Twain on Hawaii

hula steeped in tradition and grace

Hawai’i has an incredible, fascinating past … No place on earth has anything like the true stories that make up Hawai’i history. … The sun, sand, and surf may be the reasons so many people come to the Islands, but the culture and heritage are the reasons so many people stay. I, for one, could never get enough Hawai’i history. – Brian Nichol

Holoku is a long Hawaiian dress usually with a yoke.

This loose fitting dress, now considered historical fashion, with a high neck and long-sleeves was first introduced by missionaries to cover as much skin as possible. The loose fitting cotton makes them cool in the warm climate and always cheery.