Ka ʻOpihi O Kanapou - Kealiʻi Reichel

I Kanapou ka iʻa makaiāuli
Me he pai puʻu ala i hoʻopuu ʻia
Mai ka lae ʻo Hālona
A ka ihu o ka lae ʻo Kaule lā
ʻEa lā ʻea lā ʻeā
 
Hui:
ʻO ka ʻopihi hālala lā ʻeā
Hamohamo i ka pali hālala lā ʻeā
Kolo i ka pōhaku hālala lā ʻeā
Poʻipū ʻumiʻumi hālala lā ʻeā
ʻEa lā ʻea lā ʻeā
  
`O ka iʻa ia i pokepoke ʻia
E ka lēhia o ke kulu aumoe
Hinuhinu wale i ka lihi o ke kai
I ke kai oluhia o Kalapakea lā
ʻEa lā ʻea lā ʻeā
At Kanapou is the dark-fleshed limpet
Clustered like little hills
From Hālona point
All the way to the tip of Kaule point
Tra la la la
  
Chorus:
The giant limpet, oh
Rubs against the large cliff, oh
Crawls on the large rocks, oh
Covering up, enticing, large, oh
Tra la la la
 
It is the limpet that is scooped out
By the skilled fisherman of the midnight hours
Shining there at the sea's edge
The surging sea of Kalapakea
Tra la la la


Source: Keali`i Reichel CD "E O Mai" - Composed for the re-dedication of Kaho`olawe. This mele ho`oipoipo compares the opihi to parts of a lover's body. The skilled fisherman knows how to seek, harvest, eat and enjoy the delicacy