Hiiaka, having—by her marvellous skill—extricated her charge from the toils3 of the enchantress, turned a deaf ear to Pele-ula’s urgent persuasions4 to abide5 yet longer and taste more deeply the sweets of her hospitality. Her determination arrived at, she wasted no time in leave-taking but made all haste to put a safe distance between the poor moth6 and the flame that was the focus of his enchantment7. Their route lay eastward8 across [186]the dusty, wind-swept, plain of Kula-o-kahu’a—destined in the coming years to be the field of many a daring feat9 of arms;—then through the wild region of Ka-imu-ki, thickset with bowlders—a region at one time chosen by the dwarf10 Menehune as a sort of stronghold where they could safely plant their famous ti ovens and be unmolested by the nocturnal depredations11 of the swinish Kama-pua’a. Hiiaka saw nothing or took no notice of these little rock-dwellers. Her gaze was fixed12 upon the ocean beyond, whose waves and tides they must stem before they reached and passed Moloka’i and Maui, shadowy forms that loomed14 in the horizon between her and her goal.
Hiiaka, standing15 on the flank of Leahi and exercising a power of vision more wonderful than that granted by the telescope, had sight of a wild commotion16 on her beloved Hawaii. In the cloud-films that embroidered17 the horizon she saw fresh proof of her sister’s unmindfulness of the most solemn pledges. It was not her fashion to smother18 her emotions with silence:
Ke ahi maka-pa2 i ka la, e;
O-wela kai ho’i o Puna;
Malamalama kai o Kuki’i la.
Ku ki’i a ka po i Ha’eha’e,
Ka ulu ohi’a i Nana-wale.
A nana aku nei, he mea aha ia?
A nana aku nei, he mea lilo ia.
TRANSLATION
The fire-split rocks bombard the sun;
The fires roll on to the Puna sea;
There’s brightness like day at Kuki’i;
Ghosts of night at the eastern gate,
And gaunt the forms that jag the sky—
The meaning of this wild vision?
The meaning is desolation.
At Kuliouou, which they reached after passing through Wai-alae, Wai-lupe and Niu, they came upon some women who were [187]catching small fish and crabs19 in the pools and shallow water along the shore and, to satisfy their hunger or, perhaps, to test their disposition20, Hiiaka begged the women to grant her a portion of their catch to satisfy their need. The answer was a surly refusal, coupled with the remark that Hiiaka would better do her own fishing. As the sister and representative of the proud god Pele, Hiiaka could not permit the insult to go unpunished. Her reply was the utterance21 of this fateful incantation:
He makani holo uhá3
Ko Ka-ele-kei a Pau-kua.4
Pau wale ke aho i ka noi ana,
O ka loa ho’i, e!
TRANSLATION
Here’s a blast shall posset the blood,
As the chant of kahuna the back.
Our patience exhausts with delay;
The magic words operated quickly. As Hiiaka turned to depart, the unfortunate fishing women fainted and died.
After this outburst of retribution, Hiiaka turned aside to address in words of consolation23 and compliment two forlorn mythical24 creatures whom she recognized as kindred. They were creations of Pele, Ihihi-lau-akea, manifest to us to-day as a lifeless cinder-cone, and Nono-ula, as a clear spring of water welling out of the mountain. It was a nice point in Hiiaka’s character that she was always ready, with punctilious25 etiquette26, to show courtesy to whom courtesy was due.
Fortunately for Hiiaka, her lofty perch27 afforded a wide-embracing view that included the shadowy forms of Maui and the lesser28 islands that nested with it. Not the smallest pirogue could steal away from the strip of rocky beach at her feet without her observation. At this moment she caught sight of two sailor-men in the act of launching a trim canoe into the troubled waters [188]of the Hanauma cove29, and she made haste, accordingly, to come to them, on the chance of securing a passage, if so be that they were voyaging in the desired direction. Their destination proving to be Moloka’i, Hiiaka begged the men to receive herself and party as passengers. Nothing loath30, they gave their consent.
“But,” said one of them, “your party by itself is quite large enough to fill the canoe.”
His companion, with better show of cheer in his speech, spoke31 up and said, “It’s but common luck to be swamped in this rough channel. To avoid it needs only skill. Even if the craft swamps, these people need not drown; we can swim for it, and we shall all fare alike. We’ll take you with us. Come aboard.” Aboard they went.
The voyage to Moloka’i proved uneventful. They landed at Iloli, a barren place that offered no provision to stay their hunger. When Hiiaka, therefore, learned that these same canoe-men were bound for the neighboring island of Maui, she wisely concluded to continue the voyage with them.
On landing in Kohala, Hiiaka took the road that led up through the thickly wooded wilderness32 of Mahiki, the region that had been the scene, now some months gone, of the most strenuous33 chapter in her warfare34 to rid Hawaii of the mo’o—that pestilent brood of winged and crawling monsters great and small that once infested36 her wilds and that have continued almost to the present day to infest35 the imagination of the Hawaiian people. On coming to the eminence37 called Pu’u O’ioina,—a name signifying a resting place—being now in the heart of the damp forest of Moe-awa, they found the trail so deep with mire38 that the two women drew up their paü and tucked them about their waists. At sight of this action, Lohiau indulged himself in some frivolous39 jesting remarks which called out a sharp rebuke40 from Hiiaka.
As they cleared the deep woods, there burst upon them a view of the Hamakua coast-wall here and there dotted with clumps41 of puhala and fern, at intervals42 hung with the white ribbons of waterfalls hastening to join the great ocean. As Hiiaka gazed upon the scene, she uttered her thoughts in song:
(In literature, as in other matters, the missing sheep always makes a strong appeal to the imagination. Urged by this motive43, I have searched high and low for this mele, the utterance of Hiiaka under unique conditions; but all my efforts have been unavailing.)
When they had passed through the lands of Kukia-lau-ania [189]and Maka-hana-loa and were overlooking the town of Hilo, Hiiaka was better able to judge of the havoc44 which the fires of Pele had wrought45 in her Puna domains46. The land was desolated47, but, worst of all, the life of her dearest friend Hopoe had been sacrificed on the altar of jealousy48. In her indignation, Hiiaka swore vengeance49 on her sister Pele. “I have scrupulously50 observed the compact solemnly entered into between us, and this is the way she repays me for all my labor51! Our agreement is off: I am free to treat him—as my lover, if I so please. But it shall not be here and now. I will wait till the right occasion offers, till her own eyes shall witness her discomfiture52.”
After this outburst, her thoughts fashioned themselves in song:
Aia la, lele-iwi5 o Maka-hana-loa!6
Oni ana ka lae Ohi’a,7
Ka lae apane,8 mauka o ka lae Manienie,9
I uka o Ke-ahi-a-Laka:10
Oni ana ka lae, a me he kanaka la
Ka leo o ka pohaku i Kilauea.
Ha’i Kilauea, pau kekahi aoao o ka mahu nui,
Mahu-nui-akea.
E li’u mai ana ke ahi a ka pohaku.
No Puna au, no ka hikina a ka la i Ha’eha’e.11
[190]
TRANSLATION
The tongue of ohi’a’s grief-smitten.
Beyond, at peace, lies Mani?;
Above rage the fires of Laka.
The cape is passion-moved; how human
One side-wall has broken away—
That covers the earth and the sky:
My home-land is Puna, sworn guard
At the eastern gate of the Sun.
Hiiaka now entered the woodlands of Pana-ewa, a region greatly celebrated58 in song, which must have brought home to her mind vivid memories of that first sharp encounter with her dragon foe59. From there on the way led through Ola’a; and when they reached Ka-ho’o-kú Hiiaka bade the women, Wahine-oma’o and Paü-o-pala’e, go on ahead.
(A mystery hangs about this woman Paü-o-pala’e which I have not been able to clear up. She withdrew from the expedition, for reasons of her own, before Hiiaka took canoe for Maui; yet here we find her, without explanation, resuming her old place as attendant on the young woman who had been committed to her charge. The effort, which has been made, to associate her in some mystical fashion with the paü, short skirt, worn by Hiiaka, only deepens the mystery, so far as my understanding of the affair is concerned.)
Obedient to the instructions of their mistress, the faithful women, Wahine-oma’o and Pau-o-pala’e, presented themselves before Pele at the crater60 of Kilauea. “Where is my sister? where is Hiiaka?” demanded the jealous goddess. No explanation would suffice. Pele persisted in regarding them as deserters and, at her command, they were put to death. [191]
1 According to one version of this story, Hiiaka made free use of her powers of enchantment in withdrawing from the presence of Pele-ula. At the proper psychological moment, with the wreath of victory crowning her brow, while Pele-ula was vainly intent on an effort to turn the tide of her own defeat and gain the shadow of a recognition as mistress of the game of Kilu, Hiiaka, with a significant gesture to her companions, spat61 upon the ground and, her example having been imitated by Wahine-oma’o and Lohiau, their physical bodies were at once transported to a distance while their places continued to be occupied by unsubstantial forms that had all the semblance62 of reality. ↑
2Maka-pa, an expression used of stones that burst when placed in the fire. ↑
4Pau-kua, a place-name, meaning consumed in the back—a clear reference to the fact that the kahuna’s black art very frequently made its fatal ravages64 by attacking first the back. ↑
5Lele-iwi, the name of a cape that marked the coast of Puna. The word also has a meaning of its own, to express which seems to be the purpose of its use here. It connotes a grave-yard, a scaffold, one, perhaps, on which the body (literally65 the bones) of a human sacrifice are left exposed. ↑
6Maka-hana-loa, the name of another cape, also on the Hilo-Puna coast. ↑
7Lae Ohi’a, literally, ohi’a cape, meaning a forest growth that stretched out like a tongue. ↑
8Apane, a species of lehua that has red flowers, much fed upon by the birds. (In the original newspaper-text the word was pane53, evidently a mistake. There are, regretably, many such mistakes in the original text.) ↑
9Manienie, smooth, meadow-like, a name given in modern times to the Bermuda grass—“fine grass”—said to have been imported by Vancouver, now extensively seen in Hawaiian lawns. ↑
10Ke-ahi-a-Laka, literally, the fire of Laka, the name of a land. ↑
11Ha’eha’e, the eastern Sun-gate, applicable to Puna as the easternmost district of Hawaii and of the whole group. In claiming Puna as hers—i.e., as her home-land—Hiiaka seems to have set up a claim to be the guardian66 of the Sun’s rising, and therefore, by implication of Pele. ↑
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1
extricates
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| v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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2
fascinations
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| n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉 | |
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3
toils
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| 网 | |
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4
persuasions
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| n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰 | |
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5
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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6
moth
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| n.蛾，蛀虫 | |
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7
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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8
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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9
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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10
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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11
depredations
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| n.劫掠，毁坏( depredation的名词复数 ) | |
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12
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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13
loom
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| n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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14
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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15
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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16
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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17
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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18
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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19
crabs
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| n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 ) | |
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20
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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21
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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22
famished
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| adj.饥饿的 | |
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23
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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24
mythical
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| adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的 | |
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25
punctilious
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| adj.谨慎的，谨小慎微的 | |
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26
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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27
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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28
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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29
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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30
loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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31
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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32
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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33
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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34
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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35
infest
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| v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于 | |
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36
infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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37
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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38
mire
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| n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境 | |
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39
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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40
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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41
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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42
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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43
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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44
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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45
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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46
domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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47
desolated
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| adj.荒凉的，荒废的 | |
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48
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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49
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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50
scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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51
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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52
discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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53
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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54
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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55
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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56
vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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57
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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58
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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59
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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60
crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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61
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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62
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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63
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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64
ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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65
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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66
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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