Collected, translated, and annotated by Mary Kawena Pukui. Not for sale in Hawai‘i.

Excerpts

Kokolo no o pipipi, o kalamoe me älealea a ke alo o Kuhaimoana.
Pipipi, kalamoe, and älealea crept to the presence of Kuhaimoana.

Kuhaimoana is an important shark god, and pipipi, kalamoe, and älealea are shellfish. Said of hangers-on who gather around an important person for favors.

Kölea kau ähua, a uliuli ka umauma ho‘i i Kahiki.
Plover that perches on the mound, waits till its breast darkens, then departs for Kahiki.

The darkening of the breast is a sign that a plover is fat. It flies to these islands from Alaska in the fall and departs in the spring, arriving thin and hungry and departing fat. Applied to a person who comes here, acquires wealth, and departs.

Ko luna pöhaku no ke ka‘a i lalo, ‘a‘ole hiki i ko lalo pöhaku ke ka‘a.
A stone that is high up can roll down, but a stone that is down cannot roll up.

When a chief is overthrown his followers move on, but the people who have lived on the land from the days of their ancestors continue to live on it.

Pao ka lima, ‘ae ka waha.
The hand reaches under, the mouth agrees.

Said of one who makes promises while accepting bribes.

Pau ‘ole ka ‘epa ia Hawai‘i.
Endless is the strange behavior of those of Hawai‘i.

An expression of humor or annoyance used in old newspapers whenever Hawaiians criticized one another.