Talk:Laura Kōnia

Song comment
To express her special love and complete the relationship of hanai she wrote Liliu a name song. Konia, combining what she considered the best of the old and the new, took an old chant and gave it new words, a method that was not uncommon, adding the suffix lani to Liliu, thus recognizing her of high birth. It goes thus:

O Lihiu-lani

" Profuse bloom glowing as a delight And lei for Kamakaeha, For Kamakaeha the lei of the forest goddesses, The ladies with baskets of flowers.

Wear a lei, O Liliulani Wear a lei, O Liliulani

Pluck kamani flowers to link with ti flowers As a lei to adorn the lady Beloved by the forest glens And the buds in the mountain greenery.

Kaala* wears a lei of rain and showers Pouring down on Hele-auau** Rainbow mist that ia a lei on pili grass Where nene grass grows close kupukupu ferns.

Wearing a lei of hala fruit of Kelele *** Hala of Malailua that sweethearts dream of Swaying freely amid Kawelu grasses Kamakahala flower leis of Waahila**** rain.

[ Key - * Kaala ( mount Kaalala in Oahu) ** Hale-auau ( gulch at Waialua ) *** Kekele ( below Nuuanu Pali ) **** Waahila ( rain at Manoa and                             Nuuanu )

Thus Konia gave in her song, a legacy to Liliu beyond property as the westener conceived it. She gave Liliu the flowers, fruits, the leaves of the trees and vines: she gave her rain; the riches, the verdure, the beauty of Nuuanu Valley; the showers from the mountain tops to the lowest valleys. A royal princess could have no higher heritage; but it could never be hers entirely, for it was shared by all, from forest goddesses to the being of a rainbow lei for pili grass.