Читать книгу Unwritten Literature of Hawaii: The Sacred Songs of the Hula - Nathaniel Bright Emerson - Страница 16

Altar-Prayer

Invoke we now the four thousand,

The myriads four of the nimble,

The four hundred thousand elves,

The countless host of sprites,

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Rank upon rank of woodland gods.

Pray, Kane, also inspire us;

Kanaloa, too, join the assembly.

Now grows the ohi'a, now leafs ie-ie;

God enters, resides in the place;

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He mounts, inspires, abides in the shrine.

This is our prayer, our plea this for life!

Chorus:

Life shall be thine!

From one point of view these pule are not to be regarded as prayers in the ordinary sense of the word, but rather as song-offerings, verbal bouquets, affectionate sacrifices to the gods.