La ʻElima - Elizabeth Kuahaia / Kapolilauaʻeomakana

La ʻelima o Pepeluali (pēpē lua lī)
Waimaka helele (heʻe nei) i ke alanui

Paiki puʻolo paʻa i ka lima
(Maika pu olo aʻa ika lima)
Waimaka helele ʻi i ke alanui!
(Ae maka hele heʻe nui ike alanui

Hui:
Penei pepe ʻalala nei
(He nei pepe alaʻa nei)
He huʻi maʻeʻele kou nui kino
(Eʻu ima e hele kou lui kino)

Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
He mele he inoa no Miloliʻi
(E mele he noe no Milolʻ`i)

The fifth day of February
Tears fell along the roadway
(Tears scattered in the street)
Bags and bundles held tightly

Tears fell along the roadway


Chorus:
The babies cry
(You there Baby Crying here)
Numbing to the body
(Your whole body will ache with chills)

Tell the refrain
(The refrain is told)
 A name song for Miloliʻi
(A song, a name song for Miloliʻi)

Source: Diane Aki "Troubled Paradise" CD, Ho`okena "Cool Elevation" CD, R.R. - Miloli`i ( fine twist or small swirling) was a fishing village renowned for its sennit that may have been named for an expert sennit twister who once lived there. This mele immortalizes the miraculous events caused by the magnitude 7.3 - 8.0 earthquake and destructive tsunami that struck the village Apr 2, 1868. Written and oral history about and from Miloliʻi confirm there was no loss of life, missing children were led to safety in caves and rescued 5 days later, and Hauʻoli Ka Manaʻo Church was lifted by the water and moved inland with little or no damage. The kapuna from other South Kona communities joined the village in thanksgiving, at the ʻaha ʻaina kai, lasting several days. The transpositional words epitomize an old style of haku mele that has been lost, i.e. Verse 1, stanza 1 seems to imply the earthquake occurred on Feb. 5 rather than Apr. 2. If pēpē lua ī is used, the translation would read, "baby in cold cavern"