Kinuē

Hawaiian Song Analysis

na Noenoe Wall & Helen Desha Beamer

Papa Mele S202608, Week 7 · 15 October 2026

Nā Huaʻōlelo · Lyrics

Paukū 1

Hanohano Pauahi i ka uhiwai

Me ka ua kilihune o ke kuahiwi

Hone ana ē ka leo o ke kelepona

E kono mai ana iaʻu e kipa aku

Paukū 2

Launa pū me nā hoa aloha

Ia home hoʻokipa pumehana

Hoʻohihi nā manu i ka laʻi

Hoʻolaʻi nā malihini i ka nani

Paukū 3

E ake ana e ʻike iā Papaloa

A he loa a he loa mai hoʻi kau

Ia home kaulana o ia uka

Moani ana ke ʻala o nā pua

Paukū 4

Mea ʻole ke alanui kīkeʻekeʻe

I ka holu mālie hoʻi a ka Jeep

Hea aku nō au, ō mai ʻoukou

Nā pua lei aloha a Kinuē

Nā pua lei aloha a Kinuē

No kēia mele · About this mele

This mele was written for the family of Arthur Greenwell to commemorate a 1948 family and friends trip up the mountain to see the family retreats named Pauahi and Papaloa.

He Hoʻolauna · Background from class

Paris family connection → Walls, Greenwells
Wall Ranch – Kāināliu
Papaloa and Pauahi – Greenwell-era names. Started out as dairies. Then became ranch outposts, places for cowboys to stay.

Kinuē
Greenwell

Ka Wehewehe ʻana · Line-by-line breakdown

Paukū 1

Hanohano Pauahi i ka uhiwai

hanohano
glorious, magnificent
Pauahi
the mountain cabin
the name of the mountain cabin
uhiwai
comb., uhi—to cover over +wai—water
i ka uhiwai
in the heavy mists
a foggy facial—Elsbeth a misty rain
= Hanohano ʻo Pauahi
← conversational version
  • = Hanohano ʻo Pauahi …

Me ka ua kilihune o ke kuahiwi

me
together with
ka ua kilihune
the fine rain
o ke kuahiwi
of the uplands Mauna Loa
of the ridegetops, of the mountain of the uplands
me ka ua kilihune
together with the fine rain
kilihune
a type of rain. very fine
  • near “Pūlehua” Ranch / Puʻulehua cinder cone

Hone ana ē ka leo o ke kelepona

hone
sweet sounding
sweet and soft, as a sound
ana
māka painu e—ana
māka painu e—ana, progressive
ē
vocative particle
carrying the sound/message
ka leo o ke kelepona
the voice of the telephone
ka leo
the voice
o ke kelepona
the telephone

E kono mai ana iaʻu e kipa aku

kono
to invite
to invite someone to come
iaʻu
to me
e kipa aku
to visit (people)
to visit people +
dir., away
cf., holo i, huakaʻi i, hele i, …
to visit (a place)
aku
dir., away from viewpoint
mai
directional. towards viewpoint
cf., holo i…, hele i… , huakaʻi i…
to visit a place

Paukū 2

Launa pū me nā hoa aloha

launa
to hang out with someone to socialize
to be at leisure while being sociable
pū
together with
me
(same)
nā hoa aloha
the friends

Ia home hoʻokipa pumehana

ia home
the aforementioned home “the place where the heart is”
hoʻokipa
to entertain guests
lit., to make people visit
to entertain guests, be hospitable
pumehana
warmly
warm
i
at…

Hoʻohihi nā manu i ka laʻi

hoʻohihi
to be enraptured with to take a fancy to something
to take a fancy to sth, to admire …
nā manu
the birds.
fig., the people
i ka laʻi
in the calm (esp, high), serentity a place with no troubles
in the calm and stillness (esp. high) feeling of a place with no troubles away from everything else

Hoʻolaʻi nā malihini i ka nani

hoʻolaʻi
“to chill” making a relaxing environ.
lit., to create calm
calming, to make calm “to chill”
nā malihini
the visitors
the visitors, the guests
i ka nani
in the beauty
in the beauty (of that place)

Paukū 3

E ake ana e ʻike iā Papaloa

e — ana
inprogress
ake
lit., liver → to desire, to yearn to want to do something
to wish, to desire; to want to do something
e ʻike
to see
iā Papaloa
Papaloa
Papaloa (the other cabin)
  • cf., makemake

A he loa a he loa mai hoʻi kau

a
and + a sound for fun
he loa
a long (way)
a distance, a long way a long path
«mai hoʻi kau»
emphatic. oh so, how very
  • It’s a long long way
  • a long long way
  • «… mai hoʻi kau» — emphatic. oh so…, how very…
  • «mai» brings it to the speaker
  • e.g., «he nani mai hoʻi kau»
  • it’s just so incredibly beautiful in my opinion

Ia home kaulana o ia uka

[ i ]
optional. to
ia home
the aforementioned home
kaulana
famous
o ia uka
of that aforementioned upland
of the aforementioned uplands

Moani ana ke ʻala o nā pua

moani
to waft, wafting
wafting
e — ana
progressive/ongoing
ke ʻala
the fragrance
the fragrance
fig., spirit, essence, friendliness
o nā pua
of the flowers.
fig., the people, fam the descendants → Greenwells growing on the land
of the flowers
fig., the people of the place contrast w/manu flying in the descendants

Paukū 4

Mea ʻole ke alanui kīkeʻekeʻe

mea ʻole
no big deal; like nothing no obstacle
like nothing; “no big deal”
ke alanui
the road (for a car)
cf., ke alahele
pathway for walking
kīkeʻekeʻe
zig-zagging, crooked, winding
winding, twisting, crooked
cf., kekeʻe
crooked, bent
cf., alahele
pathway (for people)

I ka holu mālie hoʻi a ka Jeep

i ka …
in the…
holu
swaying, springy action (softness)
swaying, bumping gently along the road
mālie
gentle
gentle or slow and steady
hoʻi
indeed, also
also
a
of-created by
ka GP (General Purpose vehicle)
Jeep
  • GP general purpose vehicle — Jeep

Hea aku nō au, ō mai ʻoukou

hea
to call out
to call out;
cf., kāhea
aku
dir., away
dir., away from viewpoint
nō
indeed
au
I
ō
to answer, reply.
lit., Ō!
to answer or reply with the sound «ō»
the response
ʻoukou
all you folks
e ō mai
respond to me

Nā pua lei aloha a Kinuē

nā pua lei
the lei flowers, the flowers of the lei the descendants of the Greenwell fam.
the lei flowers lei
fig., the family
aloha
beloved
loving
a
created by
of created by
Kinuē
Greenwell

Nā pua lei aloha a Kinuē

Same line as above — see the breakdown there.

Nā Wikiō Papa · Class videos

Coming soon. The edited class video for this mele is being prepared and will appear here.

Published on 2026-10-15 — Last updated on 2026-10-15
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