Click on the underlined Hawaiian words to get to their translations.

  Kā Leilani Lānai
Leilani's Lānai

E komo mai! Pehea `oe?
Mai, mai.

I'm waving you on to the lānai. Mahalo iā `oe for coming! `O ka mokupuni punahele a`u kźia.

You are on a wraparound lānai at Hale o Mālie, a simple home alongside a strand of sun-drenched, golden sand beach edged by coconut trees planted by ke ali`i, overlooking a calm, serene Hawaiian sea, and adjacent to a loko i`a, a stone-enclosed fishpond, once full of fish and tended by the people. Look carefully at the upper right quadrant of the picture below, and you can discern the outline of the loko i`a just below the sea's horizon.

Breathe in that fresh air, fragranced with nā pua kea: `awapuhi ke`oke`o, pua mźlia, and pīkake . Feel the caresses of nā makani aheahe. Listen to the delicate songs of manu, flying in graceful arcs. Look for frolicking koholā and nai`a beyond the reef.

You are on an Island in Time, unadorned, rugged and honest. Mana-imbued, it is a gathering place for those attuned to the natural elements and the sacred. Hale o Mālie is located on a shore where the sand runs smoothly to the sea, where the island relaxes, her edges soften, just as you do.

E ho`onanea!

Here, there is a strong sense of the present that clearly honors the past. In a transitory, fast-paced world, this is our timeless refuge, shy, isolated, still living its innocence at a slow tempo.

Here, I share musings, past and present, from my erratic journal and correspondences, but only if you care to listen.

Sharing, it's a Hawaiian thing to do. I hope to share my island world with you. My mana`o... joyous moments... passions... lei hali`a... silliness... island spirit... mahalo and aloha , for `ohana, koko and hānai, our `āina, and its mana, and our beautiful ōlelo.

You're invited to drop in anytime. The lānai is open all hours of the day and night.

Find your way back to the lānai by hitting "Control" + "D" to bookmark.

`O wau nō me ke aloha ,
Leilani

Mahalo to Yoda for the shimmering view.

Fly.

Nā Mana`o Nā Hua `Ōlelo ~ The Meanings of Words

Kā Leilani Lānai

[KAH' lei' lah nee LAH' nai]

Leilani's Lānai

Back

E komo mai! Pehea `oe?

[eh koh' moh mai' peh heh' (y)ah oe']

Welcome! How are you?

Back

Mai, mai.

[mai' mai']

Come hither, come hither.

Back

lānai

[LAH' nai]

The lānai, which overlooks the beach, is our favorite "room." At night, we sit out there to "talk story," sing, kanikapila (play music), and listen to the lapping of the waves on the shore.

porch, patio, veranda, balcony

Back

mahalo iā `oe

[mah hah' loh ee (Y)AH' oe']

thank you

Back

`O ka mokupuni punahele a`u kźia.

[oh kah moh' koo poo' nee poo nah heh' leh ah' oo KEH' (y)ee (y)ah]

This is my favorite island.

Back

loko i`a

[loh' koh ee' ah]

Click here for more on loko i`a.

fish pond, also loko kuapā [loh'koh koo (w)ah PAH'], fishpond with walls built on top of a reef

Back

Hale o Mālie

[hah' leh oh MAH' lee (y)eh]

Named for two influential women in our lives.

House of Serenity

Back

ke ali`i

[keh (y)ah lee' ee]

the royalty

Back

nā pua kea

[NAH' poo' (w)ah keh' (y)ah]

the white flowers

Back

`awapuhi ke`oke`o

[ah wah poo' hee keh' oh keh' oh]

delicate white ginger flowers, borne in heads at tips of leafy stems, with a heavenly fragrance.

Back

pua mźlia

[poo (w)ah MEH' lee (y)ah]

A favorite island flower. Elegant simplicity, deliciously fragrant. Common, yet regal.

plumeria or frangipani, with five petals, which are white and yellow, pink to rose. Fragrant flowers are commonly used for lei-making.

Back

pīkake

[PEE' kah keh]

 

From English, for peacock. Very fragrant Arabian jasmine, named by Princess Ka`iulani after the peacocks that lived among the jasmine bushes in her garden. Both peacocks and jasmine were among her most prized possessions.

Back

nā makani aheahe

[NAH' mah kah' nee (y)ah' heh (y)ah' heh]

the gentle breezes

Back

manu

[mah' noo]

Sitting on the lānai, we watch and listen to nā manu, singing and twittering to the accompaniment of nahenahe kanikapila (soft guitar-/ `ukulele playihg).

birds

Back

koholā

[koh hoh LAH']

During the winter-spring months, we scan the ocean's horizon for whale tails, fins, spoutings, and breeches.

whales

Back

nai`a

[nai' ah]

Peaceful: kayaking on the calm South Shore alongside honu (sea turtles). Exciting: boating along the rugged North Shore, escorted by playful nai`a (dolphins).

dolphins

Back

mana

[mah' nah]

This place abounds with it.

spiritual power/essence/supernatural power that at times shows physical manifestations; it can be acquired as a gift of the gods, through ritual, won through prayers or actions, the force of words, or through inheritance

Back

E ho`onanea!

[eh hoh' oh nah neh' (y)ah!]

The lānai is indulgence for the homebody, perfect for lolling on the hammock, listening to Maui's KPOA on the radio, reading a good book, or napping.

Relax! Take it easy!

ho`onanea: pass the time in ease, peace, and pleasure; to relax, repose, lounge

Back

mana`o

[mah nah' oh]

The mana of this lānai is perfect for woolgathering (daydreaming and reflecting) and putting mana`o to paper.

thoughts, reflections, ideas, beliefs, meaning, theory

Back

lei hali`a

[lei' hah lee' ah]

...to the strains of beautiful music...

garland of reminisces, remembrances

Back

mahalo

[mah hah' loh]

appreciation, thanks, gratitude; admiration, praise, esteem, regards, respects;

Back

aloha

[ah loh' hah]

Aloha is ineffable and must be experienced.

Click here for the many meanings of aloha. All are, at best, glosses.

Back

`ohana

[oh hah' nah]

family, relatives, kin group

Back

koko

[koh' koh]

Family by blood.

blood

Back

hānai

[HAH' nai]

Family by choice.

adopted, formally or informally

Back

`āina

[AI' nah]

land, earth. Literally, that which feeds spiritually and physically, implying sacredness of land.

Back

`ōlelo

[OH' leh loh]

language

Back

`O wau me ke aloha,

[oh vau' meh keh (y)ah loh' ah]

I am, (yours) with aloha,

Back

 

 BACK TO THE TOP

You are at: http://hawaiianlanguage.com
Aloha a hui hou, Leilani
| home | why | what's new | lessons: table of contents | wordlists | lānai | links | language links | help | e-mail | aloha notes |