La `Elima - Elizabeth Kuahaia

La elima o Pepeluali
Waimaka helele`i ke alanui

Paiki pu`olo pa`a i ka lima
Waimaka helele`i i ke alanui!

Penei pepe `alala nei
He hu`i ma`e`ele kou nui kino

Ha`ina `ia mai ana ka puana
He mele he inoa no Miloli`i

The fifth day of February
Tears fell along the roadway

Bags and bundles held tightly
Tears fell along the roadway

The babies cry
Numbing to the body

Tell the refrain
A name song for Miloli`i
Source: Diane Aki "Troubled Paradise" CD, Ho`okena "Cool Elevation" CD, R.R. - Miloli`i ( fine twist or small swirling) was a fishing village renowned for its sennit that may have been named for an expert sennit twister who once lived there. This mele immortalizes the miraculous events caused by the magnitude 7.0 plus earthquake and destructive tsunami that struck the village in 1868. Written and oral history about and from Miloli`i confirm there was no loss of life, missing children were led to safety in caves and rescued 5 days later, and Hau`oli Ka Mana`o Church was lifted by the water and moved inland with little or no damage. The kapuna from other South Kona communities joined the village in thanksgiving, at the `aha `aina kai, lasting several days. The transpositional words epitomize an old style of haku mele that is lost.