Oli Komo no ka Palace Theater
Feb 13 '09
The Bottom Line A welcoming chant for the Makaha Sons performance on Valentine's Day, 2009, I composed this to describe the skill of the wonderful performers who have shared that historic stage.
A Welcoming Chant of the Palace Theater
`Âkoakoa nâ manu `ô`ô i Haili.
Kuamo`o nâ `ô`ô i nâ lâlâ o ke kumu `ôhi`a.
He hale lehua keia i ka `ûhâ o Hâla`i.
E kono ka nui manu i nâ leo hialoa.
E `olu kakou i ka lehua popohe o Hanakahi,
Ke kîhene lehua pa`û no e ka ua Kanilehua.
He mai, he mai, he mai me ke aloha e.
Gathered are the precious singers at Haili.
Perched are they on the branchlets of the `ôhi`a trees.
A lehua house this is in the fostering lap of Hâla`i.
Enticed are the flocks of birds to the skilled voices.
Let us refresh ourselves amidst the perfect lehua blooms of Hanakahi,
The lehua clusters moistened in the Kanilehua rain.
Come, come, come with love.
This oli honors the performing artists who have graced the stage of the Palace Theater with their skill. It compares them to precious birds with lovely voices.
Haili was a beautiful `ôhi`a-lehua forest in Hilo, now remembered only in story, chant, and song, and place names, such as Haili Church, and Haili Street. The Palace Theater is located at 38 Haili Street in Downtown Hilo.
The ancient Haili forest once surrounded Hâla`i Hill. The area was renowned for the unusually deep red of the lehua.
Hâla`i is the cinder cone at the top of Haili Street. It is the legendary home of the gentle and loving goddess, Hinaikeahi.
In this chant, the Palace Theater is compared to a beautiful `ôhi`a-lehua tree – a house for birds – growing on the lower slope of Hâla`i.
“Haili” [HIGH-lee] translates to English as “loving memory,” and should not be confused with “hâ`ili,” [haa-EE-lee] which translates as “revile, curse.”
“Hâla`i” [haa-LA-ee] translates to English as “calm.”
Hanakahi was a famed chief of Hilo, renowned for his prosperous and peaceful reign. Poetic tradition often compares the people of Hilo to the lehua blossoms beloved of this chief.
The Kanilehua rain is the famous rain of Hilo which whispers distinctively as it waters the lehua clusters.
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Member: Leilehua Yuen
Location: Hilo, Hawaii, USA
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About Me:
HulaRider is an author, artist, and educator who specializes in Hawaiian culture and arts.
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