HAWAIIAN SAYINGS

Evening Star, Issue 22462, 6 October 1936, Page 13

HAWAIIAN SAYINGS

SOME PICTURESQUE PROVERBS To get a true index to the spirit of the Hawaiians and a human measure of their civilisation, Mr Henry P. Judd has made an extensive collection of old Hawaiian proverbs. Mr Judd is professor of Hawaiian at the University of Hawaii, and a former president of the Hawaiian Historical Society. He discovered that “ the Hawaiian, in his keen power of observation, his sense of humour, his ability to satirise social life, to estimate achievements correctly, and to express his idea of religion and morals in a concise form, displayed a remarkable talent which surely must give him a high rank among tho peoples of the world, and characterise the Hawaiian people _as generoushearted, amiable, practical, and fond of Nature.” Many modem proverbs have their counterparts in the nithy sayings of the old-time Hawaiians. “ While the rain is still far off, thatch vour house ” was their earlier version of the modern “ Make hay while the sun shines.” An acute power of.observation and a flair for colourful description are indicated in tho following sayings:—A bald-headed man is like the rising moon; a double-chinned person is like a wrinklecl-up eel; a grey-haired person is like white sugar-cane. The Hawaiian was adept at social satire and delighted in condemning pretentious people and social parasites. “A water "ourd gurrrles when not full,” be said. And “ Eels of shallow water show their colour.” “ You have no need for a smart shrimp fisherman when the waters swarm with shrimps.” Likewise there were pithy sayings that recognised true worth, such as “ The sand crab is small but digs a deep hole.” Pele, Hawaiian fire goddess, figures prominently in many of tho legends of the islands, and so it is natural that Professor Judd found numerous references to her in his search for authentic proverbs of Old Hawaii. One saying Describes this legendary volcano goddess as “the old woman who snores on .the lava rocks,” and, again, she is called “the old woman of Halemaumau with the lightning petticoat.” (Halemaumau is tho firepit of Kilauea crater.) Tho Hawaiians always have been sentimental, and their regard for romance is indicated by such proverbs as “ Love is like fog; there is no mountain on which it does not rest.” They paid this sentiment the highest compliment when they said “ Love excels a calabash of fish and poi.” Their knack for colourful speech is indicated by such expressions as “ entangled by the whiskers ” (for caught unawares); “Old age is the red sky of evening”: tho admonition “Hang out behind and you will ho struck by tho swordfish ”; and the commentary on family life in Old Hawaii; “ The turkey struts on tho roost, the old man struts on the highway, the old woman struts in the house.”

Many of the proverbs employed indirectness, hence double meanings and hidden allusions are frequent. “ Welawela ke kai o ka moa,” translated literally, means “ The _ gravy of the chicken is hot,” implying that “ the young fellow is well versed.”