MELE
HWST 107

MELE
• Song/chant form of kaʻao/moʻolelo
• Mele are more poetic in form and has more
technical components than kaʻao/moʻolelo such
as imagery, metaphor, simile

TYPES OF MELE
•
2 main categories
1) Mele oli: mele meant to be chanted or recited,
unaccompanied by any instrument
2) Mele hula: mele intended for dance and/or
musical/instrumental accompaniment
•
There are many different types of mele that fall into
these categories (according to its purpose),
including, but not limited to those listed below:
–
–
–
Mele inoa: a name chant honoring a god, chief or
individual
Mele hoʻoipoipo: love songs
Mele maʻi: song in honor of a genitals (typically
composed for a chief upon his/her birth)

LILI`U Ē:
A MELE INOA
Lili`u ē noho nani mai
Ko kino e ki`i milimili
Oh Lili`u sitting so beautifully
Your person we fondly touch
Ko maka e nōweo nei
Ko pāpālina e kukū ana
Your eyes sparkle
Your cheeks stand out
Ko po`ohiwi ani pe`ahi
Ko poli e nahenahe wale
Your shoulders wave like a fan
Your bosom is so soft
Ko kuli e nuku moi `oe
Ko wāwae pahu a`e i luna
Your knees are like the snout of a moi fish
Your feet are lifted up
Hā`ina `ia mai ana ka puana
Lili`u ē noho nani mai
Tell the refrain
Of Lili`u sitting so beautifully
E ō e Lili`u i kou inoa
Ka hae kalaunu o Hawai`i nei
Answer Lili`u to your name
The crowning glory of Hawai`i
Lili`u ē is a mele inoa for Queen Lili`uokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawai`i. It is said to be composed by Antone
Kaoʻo as a way to express his loyalty and aloha for Queen Lili`uokalani.

MANU ʻŌʻŌ:
A MELE HOʻOIPOIPO
‘O ka manu ʻōʻō i mālama
A he nani kou hulu ke lei ʻia
Mūkī kī ana ʻoe i ka pua lehua
Kāhea ana ʻoe i ka nui manu
Hui
Hō mai, ʻoni mai
Ko aloha ma nēia
Kī hene lehua
Precious honey eater
Your feathers are woven into a beautiful lei
You sip lehua blossoms
And call out to other birds
Chorus
Come, fly hither
To your beloved
lehua cluster
No Hilo e ka ua Kanilehua
Popohe lehua ai Hanakahi
Hoʻokahi aʻu mea nui aia ʻoe
ʻO kou aloha ua hiki mai
You are from Hilo of the Kanilehua rain
Shapely is the lehua at Hanakahi
The one that I desire is you
Your lover has come
In this mele, the girl is compared to the manu ʻōʻō, a bird whose feathers were prized for
featherwork. The lover likens himself to the lehua blossoms.

KO MAʻI HŌʻEUʻEU:
A MELE MAʻI
Ko maʻi hōʻeuʻeu
Hōʻekepue ana ʻoe
Hōʻike i ka mea nui
‘O Hālala i ka nuku manu
Your lively maʻi
That you are hiding
Show the big thing
Hālala to the many birds
‘O ka hana ia o Hālala
Ka hapapai kī kala
Aʻe a ka lawe aʻe ʻoe
A i pono iho o Hālala
What Hālala does
Raise the hips
And take you
Right below Hālala
Ko maʻi hoʻolalahū
I kai ʻale pūnana mele
‘O ka hope ʻoi iho ai
A i pehu ai ko nuku
Your maʻi swells
Sea swells a nest of songs
And finally
Your swollen mouth
Ua pā kīʻ aha paha
Ke noenoe mai nei
Hāʻina mai ka puana
‘O Hālala i ka nuku manu
Take a drink perhaps
Foggy then
Tell the refrain
Of Hālala and the many birds
This is a mele maʻi that was composed shortly after the birth of the honoree, King Kal ākaua. His ma ʻi is named
Hālala, meaning ‘overly large.’ It is a lively and fun mele that speaks of the importance of the sexual aspects of
life for procreation.

I KA ‘ŌLELO NŌ KE OLA,
I KA ‘ŌLELO NŌ KA MAKE
(In the word there is life; in the word there is death)
• Traditional Hawaiians recognize the power of
words.
• Words, phrases and metaphors are selected
with deliberate care as some words have
double meanings
– For example, the palani (fish) has a very strong
odor. If it is mentioned in a mele, it may refer to
someone who is very strong smelling

I KA ‘ŌLELO NŌ KE OLA,
I KA ‘ŌLELO NŌ KA MAKE
(In the word there is life; in the word there is death)
• As in moʻolelo and kaʻao, the names used in mele
are chosen carefully
• Please note that the Hawaiian people had specific
names for wind and rain of certain areas
– Kanilehua rain of Hilo
– Kī puʻupuʻu wind and rain of Waimea
– ʻĀ paʻapaʻa wind of Kohala, etc.
• They also named trees and rocks of legendary
importance, ocean currents, etc.

KAONA
• The mana (spiritual power or life force) of a mele lies
in its intended, but often concealed, references to a
person, place or thing. Hawaiians often weave deep
meanings into poetic patterns of words.
• Kaona is the term used to describe the subtext -- the
hidden or veiled meaning -which adds to the power and
effect of the words.
• Its double meaning can bring good or bad fortune.
• It is often used to express great depths of feeling.
• Only the composer knows the kaona, or true
meaning/intent of the mele

SYMBOLISM
• References to fern, flowers, wind and rain are
typically symbolic of sweethearts
• Water and rain are also symbolic of life,
fertility, growth, grief and hardships
• Rain, storms and cold are often symbolic of
hardship and trouble

COMMON COMPONENTS FOUND IN MELE
•
Imagery
– Vivid descriptions used to produce mental pictures
– Descriptive language that evokes sensory experience
– Metaphors and similes are forms of imagery
•
Metaphor
– A direct comparison between two seemingly unrelated subjects
– ie: You are my sunshine
Her face is a garden
•
Simile
– Comparison using “like” or “as”
– ie: He sings like a canary
Her eyes are as bright as the stars