Leilani's Lânai

Click on the underlined Hawaiian words to get to their translations.

Kâ Leilani Lânai
Leilani's Lânai

E komo mai! Pehea `oe?
Mai, mai.

I'm waving you on to the lânai . Mahalo iâ `oe for coming! `O ka mokupuni punahele a`u kêia.

You are on a wraparound lânai at Hale o Mâlie , a simple home alongside a strand of sun-drenched, golden sand beach edged by coconut trees planted by ke ali`i , overlooking a calm, serene Hawaiian sea, and adjacent to a loko i`a , a stone-enclosed fishpond, once full of fish and tended by the people. Look carefully at the upper right quadrant of the picture below, and you can discern the outline of the loko i`a just below the sea's horizon.

Breathe in that fresh air, fragranced with nâ pua kea : `awapuhi ke`oke`o , pua mêlia , and pîkake . Feel the caresses of nâ makani aheahe . Listen to the delicate songs of manu , flying in graceful arcs. Look for frolicking koholâ and nai`a beyond the reef.

You are on an Island in Time, unadorned, rugged and honest. Mana-imbued, it is a gathering place for those attuned to the natural elements and the sacred. Hale o Mâlie is located on a shore where the sand runs smoothly to the sea, where the island relaxes, her edges soften, just as you do.

E ho`onanea!

Here, there is a strong sense of the present that clearly honors the past. In a transitory, fast-paced world, this is our timeless refuge, shy, isolated, still living its innocence at a slow tempo.

Here, I share musings, past and present, from my erratic journal and correspondences, but only if you care to listen.

Kinohi Loa (The Very Beginning)

....and more to come?

Sharing, it's a Hawaiian thing to do. I hope to share my island world with you. My mana`o ... joyous moments... passions... lei hali`a ... silliness... island spirit... mahalo and aloha , for `ohana , koko and hânai , our `âina , and its mana, and our beautiful ôlelo .

You're invited to drop in anytime. The lânai is open all hours of the day and night.

Find your way back to the lânai by hitting "Control" + "D" to bookmark.

`O wau nô me ke aloha ,
Leilani

Mahalo to Yoda for the shimmering view.

Fly.

Nâ Mana`o Nâ Hua `Ôlelo ~ The Meanings of Words
Kâ Leilani Lânai [KAH' lei' lah nee LAH' nai]	Leilani's Lânai	Back
E komo mai! Pehea `oe? [eh koh' moh mai' peh heh' (y)ah oe']	Welcome! How are you?	Back
Mai, mai. [mai' mai']	Come hither, come hither.	Back
lânai [LAH' nai] The lânai, which overlooks the beach, is our favorite "room." At night, we sit out there to "talk story," sing, kanikapila (play music), and listen to the lapping of the waves on the shore.	porch, patio, veranda, balcony	Back
mahalo iâ `oe [mah hah' loh ee (Y)AH' oe']	thank you	Back
`O ka mokupuni punahele a`u kêia. [oh kah moh' koo poo' nee poo nah heh' leh ah' oo KEH' (y)ee (y)ah]	This is my favorite island.	Back
loko i`a [loh' koh ee' ah] Click here for more on loko i`a.	fish pond, also loko kuapâ [loh'koh koo (w)ah PAH'], fishpond with walls built on top of a reef	Back
Hale o Mâlie [hah' leh oh MAH' lee (y)eh] Named for two influential women in our lives.	House of Serenity	Back
ke ali`i [keh (y)ah lee' ee]	the royalty	Back
nâ pua kea [NAH' poo' (w)ah keh' (y)ah]	the white flowers	Back
`awapuhi ke`oke`o [ah wah poo' hee keh' oh keh' oh]	delicate white ginger flowers, borne in heads at tips of leafy stems, with a heavenly fragrance.	Back
pua mêlia [poo (w)ah MEH' lee (y)ah] A favorite island flower. Elegant simplicity, deliciously fragrant. Common, yet regal.	plumeria or frangipani, with five petals, which are white and yellow, pink to rose. Fragrant flowers are commonly used for lei-making.	Back
pîkake [PEE' kah keh]	From English, for peacock. Very fragrant Arabian jasmine, named by Princess Ka`iulani after the peacocks that lived among the jasmine bushes in her garden. Both peacocks and jasmine were among her most prized possessions.	Back
nâ makani aheahe [NAH' mah kah' nee (y)ah' heh (y)ah' heh]	the gentle breezes	Back
manu [mah' noo] Sitting on the lânai, we watch and listen to nâ manu, singing and twittering to the accompaniment of nahenahe kanikapila (soft guitar-/ `ukulele playihg).	birds	Back
koholâ [koh hoh LAH'] During the winter-spring months, we scan the ocean's horizon for whale tails, fins, spoutings, and breeches.	whales	Back
nai`a [nai' ah] Peaceful: kayaking on the calm South Shore alongside honu (sea turtles). Exciting: boating along the rugged North Shore, escorted by playful nai`a (dolphins).	dolphins	Back
mana [mah' nah] This place abounds with it.	spiritual power/essence/supernatural power that at times shows physical manifestations; it can be acquired as a gift of the gods, through ritual, won through prayers or actions, the force of words, or through inheritance	Back
E ho`onanea! [eh hoh' oh nah neh' (y)ah!] The lânai is indulgence for the homebody, perfect for lolling on the hammock, listening to Maui's KPOA on the radio, reading a good book, or napping.	Relax! Take it easy! ho`onanea: pass the time in ease, peace, and pleasure; to relax, repose, lounge	Back
mana`o [mah nah' oh] The mana of this lânai is perfect for woolgathering (daydreaming and reflecting) and putting mana`o to paper.	thoughts, reflections, ideas, beliefs, meaning, theory	Back
lei hali`a [lei' hah lee' ah] ...to the strains of beautiful music...	garland of reminisces, remembrances	Back
mahalo [mah hah' loh]	appreciation, thanks, gratitude; admiration, praise, esteem, regards, respects;	Back
aloha [ah loh' hah] Aloha is ineffable and must be experienced.	Click here for the many meanings of aloha. All are, at best, glosses.	Back
`ohana [oh hah' nah]	family, relatives, kin group	Back
koko [koh' koh] Family by blood.	blood	Back
hânai [HAH' nai] Family by choice.	adopted, formally or informally	Back
`âina [AI' nah]	land, earth. Literally, that which feeds spiritually and physically, implying sacredness of land.	Back
`ôlelo [OH' leh loh]	language	Back
`O wau me ke aloha, [oh vau' meh keh (y)ah loh' ah]	I am, (yours) with aloha,	Back