Oʻ ahu nui a Laʻ ilaʻ i ki`i na Tom Lenchanko

         
​           Oʻ ahu nui a Laʻ ilaʻ i
                                              Haku mele na Poʻ ikai 
                   Copyright © 2021  All Rights Reserved.
                 
                         Oʻ ahu nui a Laʻ ilaʻ i
                      Oʻ ahu koʻ olau
                      Oʻ ahu ka ʻ ōnohi o ke kai
                      Oʻ ahu maka ʻ ewaʻ ewa
                      Oʻ ahu kapu Lō aliʻ i
                      Oʻ ahu ʻ eono moku
                      Oʻ ahu o Kākuhihewa
                      Oʻ ahu melemele ka ʻ ilima
                      Oʻ ahu ka piko 
                      Koʻ u one hānau ē,
                      Kānekio
 

Translation:
Grand Oʻahu of Laʻilaʻi, the source of the hū
Grand is Oʻahu in the north,
Grand is Oʻahu the center of the northern hemisphere
Grand is Oʻahu of the indifferent eye,
Grand is Oʻahu of the sacred Lō aliʻ i chiefs,
Grand is Oʻahu of the six districts,
Grand is Oʻahu of Kākuhihewa
Grand is Oʻahu of the ʻ ilima lands 
Grand is Oʻahu the center, of the center of the center
My sands of birth,
In the realm of Kānekio.
 

Composer's Notes:
This is a mele for my home.
This is a mele that I hope honors this space that I am allowed to breathe in.
This is a mele that for a long time I really have not heard anything like it.
This is a mele that grounds me and reminds me of what is still here.
This is a mele that calls to me; and moves me to fulfill what needs to be.
This is a mele of opening space.
This is a mele of spatial identification, if necessary.
This mele then, like all mele kahiko, becomes a moʻolelo.

Grand is Oʻahu of Laʻilaʻi, the first ancestors who made the first people, the hū,
Grand is Oʻahu in the north, is reference as the island to the north, where the northern tilt points towards Kauaʻi,      where different navigators chose to land their waʻa,
Grand is Oʻahu the center of the northern hemisphere, just as we are in the center of the paeʻāina, we are also in the center of ka houpo o Kāne, the  center of Kāneʻs solar plexus, 
Kāne is an ancient name for northern hemisphere, Kanaloa is the other half.
Grand is Oʻahu of the indifferent eye, spoken by Hiʻiaka on her way to Kauaʻi, when her ʻohana did not want to help her with a canoe, 
Grand is Oʻahu of the sacred Lō aliʻi, the space of Kūkaniloko is created so that Kapawa could be born of  Nanakaoko laua ʻ o Kahihiokalani,
Grand is Oʻahu of the six districts, the sacred island of Laʻilaʻi now made into six moku by Māʻilikūkahi, who then promotes the teachings and practices of the Lō aliʻi which is efficient land management practices that allow maximum food production.
Grand is Oʻahu of Kākuhihewa, the last Lō aliʻi to be born from Kūkaniloko, who follows the traditions of his predecessors and reigns in peace for 50 years.  A standard that is very hard to duplicate.
Grand is Oʻahu of the ʻ ilima lands, the yellow ʻ ilima flower was made the official pua of this island in the territory days, so now you have a quick moʻolelo from when time began to about a century ago.

​Oʻahu is the center, of the center, of the center. Center of the earth, northern hemisphere, of the pae ʻāina of Oʻahu,  Kūkaniloko is the center of Oʻahu. 

​Oʻahu the sands of my birth.
​Haku mele na Poʻ ikai 

(Kānekio according to Aunty Kawena Johnson is the older name for the northern hemisphere.)

 

---

"e kūkaʻawe i nā kapu o Kūkaniloko nō ka mea aloha nō hoʻi kākou iā lākou i nā kau a kau..."
“to guard the kapu of Kūkaniloko because we love them for all time…”