I enjoyed translating this one, as I am interested in the heiau atop Waiʻaleʻale. Please offer some feedback on the translation, there are some rough spots...
mahalo ā nui,
ʻOhu
29 November 1862 Nupepa Kuokoa
He Wahi Moolelo
A Trifling Tale
NO KA PII ANA I WAIALEALE.
ABOUT THE CLIMBING OF WAI'ALE'ALE
Ninau mai paha kekahi poe, "O Waialeale, heaha ia? "Oia ka Mauna kiekie loa o Kauai. Aia no ia mawaena o ia Mokupuni poepoe, aneane iwaena konu no. Ma ke awawa o Makaweli ko makou pii ana.
Some people may ask, Wai'aleale, what is it? It’s the highest mountain on Kaua‘i. it in the middle of that round island, about exactly center indeed. At the valley of Makaweli we climbed.
Ma ka la 7 o Okatoba i hala ae nei, oia ka la i hoomaka'i e pii ma ia Mauna. Ekolu haole, a me na kanaka maoli eiwa.
On the 7th of October it came to pass [On this past 7th of October -- Kamaoli], that was the day we began the climb of this mountain. Three haole, and nine kanaka maoli.
O ke kahawai o Makaweli, oia no ka manamanalima akau o ka muliwai o Waimea. Ma na lio makou i pii ai i Makaweli, e hele ana ma ke kukulu Hikina Akau, a hala na mile eha paha, alaila, ua mana ae la ke kahawai o Makaweli, elua manamana. O Olokele ma ka lima akau, a o Kahana ma ka lima hema.
The stream of Makaweli, is the north tributary of the Waimea river. On horseback we climbed at Makaweli, going North East, and four miles passed perhaps, when the stream forked, two branches. Olokele on the north hand, and Kahana on the south hand.
Ma Kahana makou i pii ai a hiki i kahi o Nahinu ma, na alakai o makou, he ewalu paha na mile mai Waimea aku, malaila makou i waiho ai i na lio, a hela wawae aku la, ma ia ahiahi no, hiki aku makou i ke kumu o ka Mauna, ma kahi i kapaia o Kaipuhaa, malaila makou i moe ai. He halelole ko na haole, a he hale lau laau ko na kanaka maoli. O ke anu o ia wahi he 55 degere
We went up Kahana until arriving at the place of Mahinu & associates, the guides of ours, 8 miles perhaps out of Waimea, there we gave up our horses, and continued on foot, on that evening, we reach the base of the mountain, at the place called Kaipuhaa, there we slept. The haole had a tent, and the kanaka maoli had a house of branches. The coolness of that place was 55 degrees.
Ma ke kakahiaka o ka Poalua, oia ka la 8, pii aku makou iluna o ka moo e moe ana, ma ka aoao o kekahi awawa hohonu, i kapaia o Haleokunuu, o ke poo ia o kela kahawai o Olohelo. He hihia no ke ala ma kauwahi, a ua kaawale no ma kauwahi, no ka nui o na Puaa makanahelehele e hele ana ma ia wahi.
On Tuesday morning the 8th, we climbed up the sleeping mo‘o [the ridge lying - Kamaoli], on the side of a deep valley, called Haleokunuu, it’s the head of that stream Olohelo. It was difficult indeed the path in some places, and indeed secluded in some places, because of the great numbers of pigs in the shrubland, going to this place.
Ma kekahi wahi, ua moe aoao ke ala hele ma ka moo, a pii aku iluna, alaila hele aku maloko o na laau e lauwili ana, a e hele kekee ana, e like paha me ko ka Iseraela hele ana ma ka waonahele. Ma kauwahi hoi, he iho ilalo o ke kahawai, a maloko o ka wai e hele ai a hala kekahi mile okoa, a oi aku paha.
In some places, the path lay aside the mo'o, and we climbed up, there entering the trees on a circuitous route, and proceeding crookedly, maybe like the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. In a few places indeed, descending to the stream, and into the water we went for a full mile or more perhaps.
Ike makou i ka Wailele Waikaka, he kiekie loa no ke nana'ku, aole nae i anaia e makou. A ma ka hora elua paha o ke ahiahi, hiki aku makou ma kekahi Ana i kapaia o Keaku.
We saw the Waikaka waterfall, so tall to gaze upon, but not measured by us. And at 2 o'clock perhaps of the evening, we arrive at a cave called Keaku.
A pau ka paina awakea ana, noho no kekahi mau kanaka ekolu me na keiki elua o makou, i ke Ana. Ma ke kahawai Olenalena, loaa ia makou he Apeape, ua like pu me ka Ape ka ulu ana, a o kona lau he nui loa. Eono kapuai ke anawaena o kekahi mau lau. Ua like nae me ka lau o ka ipu Pu, ma ka ulu ana.
When lunch feast was over, three of the kanaka stayed with the two children of ours, at the Cave. At ‘Ōlenalena stream, we found ‘Ape‘ape, like the ‘Ape it grows, and its leaves are large. Six feet across, some leaves. Like the leaf of the Pū gourd, as it grows.
A ma ka hora 4 o ke ahiahi, hiki makou i ka hapalua o ka Mauna, a nana iho la makou ilalo o ke awawa o Wainiha. A o na wahi a pau e pili ana i kahi a makou e ku nei, ua olohelohe wale no, aole laau nui, ma kauwahi, he mau laau liilii wale no, a o ka nui o ka aina e pili ana maluna o Waialeale, aole laau iki.
And at 4 oclock in the evening, we reached the halfway point of the mountain, and gazed down on the valley of Wainiha. And of all the places we have stood, it was bald, no big trees, a few, stunted trees only, and of the majority of lands around above [majority of surrounding lands upon - Kamaoli] Wai‘ale‘ale, not even a few trees.
Moe makou ma ke kahawai o Wainiha ia po. A kakahiaka ae, ua hiki ke anu i ke 52 degere. Pau ka aina kakahiaka, o ka pii aku la no ia o makou iluna o ua Mauna nei, maikai loa ke nana iho ilalo o ke awawa o Wainiha makai, a me Mauna Hina.
We slept on the streamside of Wainiha that night. At morning time, the temperature reached 52 degrees. Breakfast finished, we climbed this mountain, it was very good to look down on the valley of seaward Wainiha, and Mauna Hina.
Pela no hoi ke nana aku ia Puukapele, Wailua, Nawiliwili, Niihau a me Kaula. No ka paa koke i ke Ohu, nolaila, aole loihi ka nana ana. Aia no maluna o Waialeale, he Lokowai, he 50 paha kapuai ka loa, a he 40 kapuai ka laula, he wai ono no, aole nae he hohonu loa.
Thus we gazed upon Pu‘ukapele, Wailua, Nāwiliwili, Ni‘ihau and Ka‘ula. Because of the closing mist, we couldn't gaze for long. There indeed, above [upon - Kamaoli] Wai‘ale‘ale, a Pool, 50 feet long perhaps, 40 feet wide, delicious water indeed, but not very deep.
Ua kahe pono ia wai i ke awawa o Wainiha. Ua eliia hoi ma ka aoao e kupono ana i Wailua, aole nae i maopopo ke kahe ana ilaila.
This water flowed surely to the valley of Wainiha. It cut indeed on the side going surely to Wailua, I don't know however, if it flows there.
Aia no hoi maluna olaila kekahi Heiau i kapaia o Kaawakoo. He nui na hua pupulei e waiho ana malaila, oia no ka makana a, mea makaikai i waiho aku ai i mohai paha i ke akua o ia wahi i ka wa kahiko.
There indeed, above that place, is a heiau called Ka‘awakoo. There were many shell lei pieces given there, its the glittering gift, [its the gift of - Kamaoli] travelers giving offerings perhaps to the akua of that place in ancient times.
Ma ka hora 4 o ke ahiahi, hoi wikiwiki aku la makou, a moe ma Keaku, kakahiaka ae, oia ka Poalima, la 10, hoi loa mai makou ma Waimea, a ma ka hora 3 o ke ahiahi, hiki makou ma ka Home. Akahi no paha a hiki ka haole maluna ponoi o ka pane poo o ka Mauna Waialeale. E. J.
At 4 oclock in the evening, we quickly returned, to sleep at Keaku, the next morning, this being Friday the 10th, We arrived at last at Waimea, and at 3 oclock in the evening, we reached Home. Perhaps the first ime that haole arrived atop the summit of Mount Wai‘ale‘ale.
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Ninau mai paha kekahi poe, "O Waialeale, heaha ia? "Oia ka Mauna kiekie loa o Kauai. Aia no ia mawaena o ia Mokupuni poepoe, aneane iwaena konu no. Ma ke awawa o Makaweli ko makou pii ana.
Some people may ask, Wai'aleale, what is it? It’s the highest mountain on Kaua‘i. it in the middle of that round island, about exactly center indeed. At the valley of Makaweli we climbed.
'ane'ane iwaena konu no: almost/nearly dead center seems a bit different from "exactly?"
Yeah, its the difference between mawaena (central) and i waenakonu (at midpoint) I suppose. To me, "dead center," seems like another way to say "exactly center." Maybe it should be "nearly at the midpoint indeed." I think I like that best, as it goes from a general "middle" to a more specific "midpoint." Pehea ia?
Aloha e Ohu e,
Great job on the translation:) These travel narrative kind of things are always so interesting. Here is some input on the trans:
Ma ka la 7 o Okatoba i hala ae nei: is probably more like “On this past 7th of October, that was...”
pii aku makou iluna o ka moo e moe ana, ma ka aoao o kekahi awawa hohonu: maybe something like “we climbed the ridge that ran along the side of a deep valley called Haleokunuu”
a o ka nui o ka aina e pili ana maluna o Waialeale: I think it’s the majority of the surrounding lands upon Waialeale, not above. Same for the “maluna” used in the next section about the pool.
oia no ka makana a, mea makaikai: Might want to check the original on this, but you could probably disregard the comma, and read it as oia no ka makana a mea makaikai... Punctuation in the Hawaiian newspapers was quite a bit different than we use it now, sometimes even looking like it was just used for decoration:)
Mahalo! I will see if I can incorporate your adjustments into the original post, using brackets or italics or both, so people can see the suggested revisions and my original rough translation.
'Ohu
Replies
Some people may ask, Wai'aleale, what is it? It’s the highest mountain on Kaua‘i. it in the middle of that round island, about exactly center indeed. At the valley of Makaweli we climbed.
'ane'ane iwaena konu no: almost/nearly dead center seems a bit different from "exactly?"
Great job on the translation:) These travel narrative kind of things are always so interesting. Here is some input on the trans:
Ma ka la 7 o Okatoba i hala ae nei: is probably more like “On this past 7th of October, that was...”
pii aku makou iluna o ka moo e moe ana, ma ka aoao o kekahi awawa hohonu: maybe something like “we climbed the ridge that ran along the side of a deep valley called Haleokunuu”
a o ka nui o ka aina e pili ana maluna o Waialeale: I think it’s the majority of the surrounding lands upon Waialeale, not above. Same for the “maluna” used in the next section about the pool.
oia no ka makana a, mea makaikai: Might want to check the original on this, but you could probably disregard the comma, and read it as oia no ka makana a mea makaikai... Punctuation in the Hawaiian newspapers was quite a bit different than we use it now, sometimes even looking like it was just used for decoration:)
Anyway, hope these things are helpful...
me ke aloha,
kamaoli
'Ohu