He Mele No Kūali‘i

Andrea and I have been learning this mele written for Sam and Mary, performed at Mary's celebration of life on February 18, 2023. I created the third column to help me learn the chant.

Hawaiian
Puakea's Translation
My More Literal Translation
Kū mau mai ka nani i Mānoa nei
Wehiwehi i ka ʻahu o te Tuahine
Hiʻia ka manaʻo i ka maluhia
Ilihia i ka hano aʻo Kūaliʻi ē
Beauty abides here in Mānoa
Adorned with the cloak of the Tuahine rain
The heart is embraced by the peacefulness
Touched by the grandeur of Kūaliʻi
Enduring here the beauty in Mānoa
Festive the cape of the Goddess of Rain
Holding the thought of peace
Reverent of the honor of Kūaliʻi
ʻO ka pā kōnane a ka mahina
ʻO Māhealani ke hoʻomāʻike
Lamalama maila ka pua kokiʻo
I ka māla keʻokeʻo o ke aumoe
The glowing touch of the full moon
Māhealani offers a presentation
The hibiscus have a luminous glow
A garden of white in the midnight hour
The enclosure of bright light of the full moon
Māhealani is giving a show
Glowing here the hibiscus flower
In the white garden at midnight
Kū aʻe, kū nihi, kū paʻa mau
Ka paia ʻeʻehia o Kūkaʻōʻō
Kiaʻi haʻaheo o ka ʻāina
I laila nā maka e huli ai
Standing above, standing steep, standing forever
The awe-inspiring walls of Kūkaʻōʻō
Proud guardian to watch over the land
Where thoughts and hopes are placed
Standing up, standing steep, standing forever
The awe-inspiring wall of Kūkaʻōʻō
Proud watchman of the land
There the views of changes
Kānaenae ka leo o loko nei
Me he kāhuli lā o ka wao nahele
He aloha, he haliʻa, e hiʻipoli mau
Ke kipona pilina i Mānoa nei ē
There is a voice of supplication in the heart
Entrancing as a trilling forest land shell
An expression of affection, a remembrance to treasure
The powerful tie to this place, Mānoa
Chant of the heart's voice
With a snail shell of the forest land
A love, a remembrance, held to the breast
The intense connection to this place, Mānoa
He Mele Aloha no Sam and Mary Cooke A chant of affection for Sam and Mary Cooke A chant of love for Sam and Mary Cooke

—na Puakea Nogelmeier, 2010

Andrea's Introduction to the Mele at the Mission Houses

Andrea was asked to introduce the mele at a Mission Houses Museum outdoor hula performance.

Halau Hula o Mānoa is honored to perform for you this evening He Mele No Kūaliʻi. This mele was composed by Puakea Nogelmeier at the request of Sam and Mary Cooke and first presented at their 50th wedding anniversary in 2010 and has become the house chant. The Cooke family has been active in the diverse history of Hawaiʻi since the arrival of Amos and Juliette Cooke as missionary teachers in 1837. They were directly involved in mission activities and continued to live at this site into the 1890s, long after the mission had been disbanded. Sam and Mary continued their family heritage of giving back to our communities by establishing Mānoa Heritage Center on the site of their family home in Mānoa Valley.

Listen and watch as we draw you to Kūaliʻi, the house, the grounds, and the place. Walk with us into the White Garden and see how the moonlight shines into the garden. See the heiau Kūkaʻōʻō and think of the original heiau that lay dormant for so long but was not torn down, and was then protected and restored by the Cooke family, returning it to its place of honor. Listen as these places sing to us gently like the kahuli of the forest, stirring memories of what was, what is being restored, what we hold dear, and our connection to place.

Andrea's Introduction to the Mele at the Mānoa Heritage Center

Andrea was asked to introduce the mele for an event at the Mānoa Heritage Center. For this event, she shortened her remarks to better fit the time available.

Aloha kakahiaka. We are Halau Hula o Mānoa and would like to share with you a mele honoring this site. He Mele No Kūaliʻi was composed by Puakea Nogelmeier at the request of Sam and Mary Cooke, who sought to preserve this site a place of remembrance for the rich heritage of this valley and our Hawaiian islands.

Listen as we chant of Kūaliʻi, the house, the grounds, and the place. Walk with us into ka māla keʻokeʻo, the White Garden, and see how the moonlight shines into the garden. See Kūkaʻōʻō, the heiau, and think of the original heiau that lay dormant for so long but was not torn down and was then protected and restored by the Cooke family, returning it to its place of honor. Listen as these places sing to us gently me he kāhuli, like the land shell of the forest, stirring memories of what was, what is being restored, what we hold dear, and our connection to place. This is He Mele No Kūaliʻi.


Andrea at Kūkaʻōʻō

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com


Kualii.html: this hand crafted, human readable, HTML file was created March 1, 2023.
Last updated March 9, 2023 by Dr. Richard Jeffery Wagner. Text and images copyright © 2023, unless otherwise attributed, all rights reserved.