rain

  Ua.

  See sayings that are tributes to rain ('āpa'a, 'ehu⁴, kāhiko) and other poetic references (lū lehua, po'i¹, pū'uki'uki). See Kū-lani-hākoi, ua, downpour, Hilo, and chant, lolohe¹.

  In poetry, rain or rains may signify joy, life, growth, greenery; good fortune (light rains, mist); grief, sorrow, and tears (heavy rains); the presence of gods or royalty, sexual relations, beauty; hardship.

   ♦ Fine light rain (much beloved), kili, ho'okili, kilihune, lilinoe, kili noe, līhau, kilikili noe, kilikilioe, kili nahe, uaoa. Light moving rain, ko'iawe.

   ♦ Fine windblown rain, lelehuna, lelehune, lele ua, leleaka.

   ♦ Chilly rain, kili hau, ua 'awa.

   ♦ Rain spray, ehu.

   ♦ Showery rain, ua nāulu, pāki'o, pāki'oki'o.

   ♦ Drenching rain, ua hō'e'ele.

   ♦ The bitter rain, ka ua 'awa (of grief, tragedy, hardship).

   ♦ Rain downpour, ua lani pili, ua loku.

   ♦ Continuous rain, ua ho'okina, pīpīnoke.

   ♦ Rain with large drops, ua hekili, pakakū.

   ♦ Slanting rain, ua hikiki'i.

   ♦ Unexpected rain, ililani.

   ♦ Rainbow-hued rain, uakoko, ko'i'ula.

   ♦ Spring rain, kuāua hope, latter rain, kuāua hope (Biblical).

   ♦ Rain gauge, ana ua.

   ♦ Heiau with offerings for rain, heiau ho'oulu ua.

   ♦ Thunder without rain, hekili pāmalō.

   ♦ Darkness of rain, 'eleua.

   ♦ Hilo is famous for rain, as in this saying: 'ele'ele Hilo, panopano i ka ua,

   ♦ Hilo is black, dark with rain (hardship, grief, trouble).

   ♦ Many rains are named, usually associated with particular places, some on the same island and some on different islands.

   ♦ Some winds and rains have the same name (as Kani-ko'o, Kīpu'upu'u, Lau'awa'awa, Līlī-lehua, and probably Moaniani-lehua); winds seem to bring the rains.

  ¦ Of the rains identified with islands, 15 are on O'ahu, 12 on Maui, 9 on Hawai'i, and 4 on Kaua'i.

  ¦ They are nearly always in wet coastal areas (except Lahaina), and almost none in the uninhabited wet areas.

  ¦ The lehua flower is associated with rain and occurs in six of the rains listed here.

  ¦ Rains commonly mentioned in chants and songs (meanings that are obvious, associated places, and name variations are in parentheses): 'Āpua-kea (Ko'olau Poko, O'ahu), Kani-lehua (lehua sounding; Hilo), Kinai-lehua (quenching lehua; Pana-'ewa, Hawai'i), Kīpu'upu'u (Wai-mea, Hawai'i), also a wind, Lani ha'aha'a (low heavens; Hāna, Maui), Mololani (well-kept; Kaha-lu'u, O'ahu), Tuahine or Kuahine (sister; Mānoa, O'ahu), Wa'ahila (Mānoa and Nu'u-anu, O'ahu).

   ♦ Other rains: He'e-nehu (nehu fish run; Hilo), Hehipua-hala (stepping on pandanus flowers; Po'o-kū, Kaua'i), Hōli'oli'o (or Hōli'o; Hawai'i and O'ahu), Ka'au (Kohala, Hawai'i), Ka'ele-loli (or Ka'ekelo; Makiki, O'ahu), Kani-ko'o (cane tapping, with Ko'olau wind), Kini-maka-lehua (many lehua), Ki'o-wao (upland; Nu'u-anu, O'ahu, and Wai-'ale'ale, Kaua'i), Kui-'ilima (Honolulu), Kūkala-hale (Honolulu), also wind name, Lani-pa'ina (crackling heavens; 'Ulu-palakua, Maui), Lau-'awa (or Lau-'awa'awa; Hāna, Maui), Lēhei (leaping; Maka-wao, Maui), Lena (yellow; Maui and Hanalei, Kaua'i), Līlī-lehua (lehua chill; Pālolo, O'ahu; and Wai-ehu, Maui), Lū-lau-kō (scattering cane leaves; Kaua'i), Maka-lau-koa, Malu-ko'i (Kaha-lu'u, O'ahu), Moaniani-lehua (wafted lehua fragrance; Puna, Hawai'i), Moe-lehua (sleeping lehua), Nōweo-'ula (red brightness; Nā-pili, Maui), Ōnini-pua'i'o (Hāna, Maui), Pali-loa (long cliff), Papa-wai (Olowalu, Maui), Pa'ū-pili (moistening pili grass; Lahaina, Maui), Pe'e-pā-pōhaku (hide [at] stone wall; Kau-pō, Maui), Pe'e-pūhala-hīnano (hiding pandanus male flowers), Pili-nahe, Pō'ai-hala (surrounding pandanus; Kaha-lu'u, O'ahu; also Pō'ai-hale), Po'o-kole, Po'olipilipi (adze-head; Kalihi, O'ahu, and Hilo), Po'o-nui (big head), Pōpō-kapa (tapa bundle; also Pōpō-ua, rain bundle), Pūnāwai-ea (rain spray), Pupū-hale (remaining near house; Hāmākua, Hawai'i), Ua-a-ka-līpoa (rain of the līpoa seaweed), Ua-ma-ka-lau-koa (rain on koa leaves; Nu'u-anu, O'ahu), 'Ula-lena (yellow red; Ka'ala mountain, O'ahu, and Ha'i-kū, Maui), also a wind.