Kuhiau

Kuhiau - Joseph Ka`ehu & Vickie I`i Rodrigues
A ka laʻi au aʻi Kuhiau ʻAlo ana ʻo Hiku, i ka moana Ua hele ā hīlala nā kia Kikiʻi nā peʻa i ka makani Walawala ka pumi ma hope Hulei lua i ka ʻili kai Ka hoe uli kāpapa o luna Ua lewa lalo,ʻoni pono ʻole ʻO ke kau a ka manu o Kaʻula Haʻi ʻia ka ʻino o ka moana Haʻina ka puana i lohe ʻia ʻAlo ana ʻo Hiku i ka moana	In the calm, I was at Kuhiau The "Seven" is going to sea The masts heel over The sails tilt in the wind The boom lifts up and back Tosses again to the surface of the sea The rudder extends out above Dangles down shifting uselessly The perching of the bird of Ka`ula This tells of the storm from the ocean Tell the story, let it be heard The "Seven" is sailing out to sea
Source: Moana Chang CD "Boat Days in Hawaiʻi" Hula Records - This ancient chant composed about a hundred years ago, was very popular at that time and by the 1920's, four other chanters in Kauaʻi gave their versions to Helen Roberts, for her study on Ancient Hawaiian Music. All of these versions give the name of the ship as Heki, Hiti or Hetty. This version credits the composer as Joseph Kaehu of Haʻena Kauaʻi, and was set to music by Vickie Iʻi Rodrigues, who shared it with her cousin, Agnes Malabey Weisbarth. Here, the ship is called Hiku or Seven. Kuhiau was the heiau above Nawiliwili Bay, Kauaʻi. The chanter was inspired as he watched the Hiku, a sailing vessel, from the heights. Translation by Kini Sullivan