ua laukona[456] ka moe e aloh' ai;
O ia moe la, e kaulele hou[457]
10 No ka po i hala aku aku nei.
Hoiho kaua a eloelo, e ka hoa, e,
A hookahi!

[Translation]

_Song_

Misty and dim, a bush in the wilds of Kapa'a,
The paddlers bend to their work, as the flower-laden
Shrub inclines to the earth in Maile-huna;
They sway like reeds in the breeze to crack their bones
5 Such the sight as I look at this tossing grove,
The rhythmic dip and swing on to Wailua.
My call to the witch shall fly with the breeze,
Shall be heard at Pua-ke'i, e-he, e-he!
The flower-stalk Laukona beguiles man to love,
10 Can bring back the taste of joys once our own,
[Page 238] Make real again the hours that are flown.
Turn hither, mine own, let's drench us with love--
Just for one night!

[Footnote 452: _Pua ehu Kamalena_ (yellow child). This
exclamation is descriptive of the man's visual impression on
seeing the canoe with its crowd of passengers and paddlers,
in the misty light of morning, receding in the distance. The
kamalena is a mountain shrub having a yellow flower.]

[Footnote 453: _Luhi ehu iho la_. Refers to the drooping of a
shrub under the weight of its leaves and flowers, a figure
applied to the bending of the paddlemen to their work.]

[Footnote 454: _Hele a ha ka iwi_. An exaggerated figure of
speech, referring to the exertions of the men at their
paddles (_ha_, to strain).]

[Footnote 455: _I hali hoomu_. This refers in a fine spirit of
exaggeration to the regular motions of the paddlers.]

[Footnote 456: _Pua laukona_. A kind of sugar-cane which was
prescribed and used by the kahunas as an aphrodisiac.]

[Footnote 457: _Kaulele hou_. To experience, or to enjoy,
again.]

The unchivalrous indiscretion of the youth in publishing the
secret of his amour elicited from Kamehameha only the
sarcastic remark, "Couldn't he eat his food and keep his
mouth shut?" The lady herself took the same