A Eulogy for Our Dear Departed Lei
("He Hoalohaloha No Ka Maua Lei Heleloa", Nupepa Kuokoa, December 28, 1922)
Mr. Editor of the Kuokoa; greetings:—Please provide space in our distinguished one1 so that it will flash like lightning to inform the public from where the sun rises to where it sets at Lehua that our cherished lei of a child, Henry Kukahiko, has departed.
The sickness came upon our beloved child in the month of August. He wasted away for 4 months and 13 days. What sadness for our loved one from the land of the facing cliffs.
Farewell to our child of the desert of Niu.2 Kaupo rain that makes one hide behind rock walls, you will no longer wet his cheeks. He is gone. He has vanished. What sorrow!
Our beloved was born on July 9, 1899.3 Thus, for 23 years, 4 months and 22 days he breathed the frigid air of this world. As the words of the Good Book say, dust shall return to dust and the spirit to the one who gave it.4 He gave, and He hath taken away.5 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace and love toward his servants.6 Amen.
Mournfully,
MR. KUKAHIKO,7
MRS. KUKAHIKO,8
Kaupo, Maui, Dec. 15, 1922.
Below is the obituary in the original Hawaiian:
HE HOALOHALOHA NO KA MAUA LEI HELELOA
Mr. Lunahooponopono o ke Kuokoa; Aloha kaua:—E oluolu mai i kekahi rumi kaawale o ke Kilohana a kaua, e uwila ae i ike mai ai na kini lehulehu, o ka maua lei hele loa Henry Kukahiko, mai ka la hiki a ka welona i Lehua.
Ua hoomaka mai ka hekau ana o ka ma’i maluna o ka leialoha a maua mai ka mahina mai o Augate, ahiki wale no i kona haalele ana mai, ua piha na mahina o kona kaama'i ana he 4, me 13 la o ka hoomailo ana o ka ma'i. Aloha ka leia-i a maua o na pali huli lua o ka aina.
[ indiscernible ] panoa o Niu. E ka ua Peepapohaku o Kaupo e, aole oe e hoopulu hou ana ma kona mau papalina, ua pau ua nalo. Lihaliha wale!
Ua hanauia ka maua mea aloha ma ka la 9 o Iulai A. D. 1890; Nolaila ua piha iaia na makahiki he 23, eha mahina, 22 la o kona hanu ana i na ea huihui o keia ola honua ana; ko ae la ka olelo a ka Buke Nui, e hoi ka lepo i ka lepo, o ka uhane me ia, Nana no i haawi mai, Nana no i lawe aku, e hoomaikaiia kona inoa ma na lani kiekie loa, he malu ma ka honua he aloha i kana poe kauwa amene.
O maua iho no me ka luuluu,
MR. KUKAHIKO,
MRS. KUKAHIKO,
Kaupo, Maui, Dec. 15, 1922.
Footnotes
- “Ke Kilohana”, a nickname for Nupepa Kuokoa based on the newspaper’s slogan in the masthead.
- This line is an approximate translation, as a portion of the sentence is cut off on the original article.
- Corrected from 1890 in the original article.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7.
- Job 1:21.
- Luke 2:14.
- Alfred Levi Paele Kukahiko.
- Keamalu Kukahiko.