HAWAIIAN CHANTS

Kanaloanuiākea Chant
The Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation

Christopher Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker chose this as the opening chant because it is inclusive of the whole ocean, and it can be used anytime to honor Kanaloa, one of the four major gods of traditional Hawaiian religion, who is associated with the ocean, long distance voyaging, and healing.

Kanaloanuiākea (Kanaloa of the vast expanse)

E Kanaloa Haunawela (Kanaloa of the depths of intensity)

Kanaloa ke ala maʻawe ʻula a ka lā (Kanaloa of the west sky, the setting sun)

Kāne ke ala ʻula o ka lā (Kāne of the east sky, the rising sun)

Kanaloa noho i ka moana nui (Kanaloa residing in the great sea)

Moana iki (Small sea)

Moana oʻo (Mottled sea)

I ka iʻa nui (In the big fish)

I ka iʻa iki (In the small fish)

I ka manō (In the shark)

I ka niuhi (In the tiger shark)

I ke koholā (In the whale)

A hohonu (Of the depths)

ʻO ke kai hohonu a heʻe (The depths transcending)

ʻO ke kai uli a palaoa (The dark depths of the sperm whale)

ʻO ke kai kea a honu (White sea of turtles)

ʻO ka hou kaʻi loloa (The wrasse parade in a long line)

ʻO nā au walu a Kanaloa (The eight currents of Kanaloa)

I paʻa ka maka (The source is stable)

I ka maka walu a Kanaloa (The numerous consciousness of Kanaloa)

Ola! (It lives)

Lana i ke kai (It floats in the sea)

Lana i ka honua (It drifts upon the land)

Lana i ka hopou a Kanaloa (It intermingles in the energy of Kanaloa)

I ka Mokupāpapa (Out to the low laying islands)

Ka papa kaha kua kea o Lono (The low laying coral islands of Lono)

ʻO Lono ka pao (Lono is the bridge)

Ola i ke au a Kanaloa (Life to the realm of Kanaloa)

 
 

The Family's Chant
Original Chant Composed by: Christopher Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker

These are the lyrics to the chant that the generations of family members perform when interacting with the shark:

A ua ʻikea, ua ʻike iho nō (It has been seen, it is now known)

Ka manō, ka niuhi lālākea o ka moana (The manō, the great man-eating shark of the ocean)

Kuʻu kupuna i ke au a Kanaloa (My ancestor in the currents of Kanaloa)

He loa ke ala e holo ʻia (The path travelled is long)

I ola ʻoe, ola pū kāua, (Should you survive it, so should we)

Eia kuʻu kupu lā o ka leo (Here is my sacrifice to you, it is my voice)

He leo heahea, he leo aloha (A voice calling to you, calling with aloha)

Aloha kupuna hoʻoheihei a kai uli, kai kea (Aloha be to my great ancestor racing in the deep blue, the great white sea)

Kai koʻo, kai malino (In the rough, in the calm)

I ka ʻale ʻī, i ka ʻale moe, i ka ʻale hākoʻikoʻi i Kahiki (In the billows which reverberate and shake Kahiki)

Ua ala ʻo Kahiki iā ʻoe, ua ao Hawaiʻi (Kahiki has been awakened by you, you have brought the dawn to Hawaiʻi)

Ua ao hoʻi kāua i ko aloha (We have been enlightened by your aloha)

Ea, ea, ea (Bring life, life, life)