Kānāwai Māmalahoe - Law of the Splintered Paddle

You can read the story by The Hawai‘i Legal Auxiliary or read the Wikipedia link.
The law and the English translation below is taken from Kamehameha The Great by Julie Stewart Williams, Kamehameha Schools Press. You can read a copy of Kamehameha the Great online at the Ulukau: Hawaiian Electronic Library in either English or Hawaiian.

Kānāwai Māmalahoe

E nā kānaka,
E mālama ‘oukou i ke akua
A e māmala ho‘i ke kanaka nui a me kanaka iki;
E hele ka ‘elemakule, ka luahine, a me ke kama
A moe i ke ala
‘A‘ohe mea nāna e ho‘opilikia.
Hewa nō. Make.

Law of the Splintered Paddle

O my people,
Honor thy god;
respect alike [the rights of] men great and humble;
See to it that our aged, our women, and our children
Lie down to sleep by the roadside
Without fear or harm.
Disobey, and die.

HOME • HAWAI‘I • ‘ŌLELO HAWAI‘I • POLITICS
THIS & THAT • EXTERNAL LINKS
WHAT'S NEW • CONTACT • FAQ