Lesson 2: Learning “‘Ōpae Ē, ‘Opae Ē”
Aim: How can music and movement tell a story?
Summary: Students will learn to sing “‘Ōpae Ē, ‘Opae Ē,” explore Hula movements, and discover traditional Hawaiian instruments.
Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, Musical Explorers Student Guide
Standards: National 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11; NYC 1, 2, 3, 4
Vocabulary: hula
“‘Ōpae Ē, ‘Opae Ē” is a song that was inspired by a Hawaiian legend that tells the story of a maiden from Kahakuloa, Maui who was kidnapped by an eel. Her brother, intent on saving her from the eel’s cave, summoned sea creatures to help. All the creatures refused to help, except the ‘opihi (or limpet, a sea animal similar to mussels or barnacles), who clamped themselves over the eel’s eyes, blinding him and allowing the brother to rescue his sister. The flowing, repetitive melody, along with the hula movements, help to tell this story and demonstrate the beauty of the native life of Hawaiian streams and the sea.
Quick Links:
“‘Ōpae Ē, ‘Ōpae Ē”
Text
‘Ōpae ē, ‘Ōpae ē
‘Ōpae ho‘i, ‘Ōpae ho‘i
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
Na kuahine
Aia iā Wai? Aia iā Wai?
Aia iā Puhi. Aia iā Puhi.
Nui ‘o puhi, a li‘ili‘i au
‘A‘ole loa
Pipipi ē, Pipipi ē
Pipipi ho‘i, Pipipi ho‘i
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
Na kuahine
Aia iā Wai? Aia iā Wai?
Aia iā Puhi. Aia iā Puhi.
Nui ‘o puhi, a li‘ili‘i au
‘A‘ole loa
Pūpū ē, Pūpū ē
Pūpū ho‘i, Pūpū ho‘i
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
Na kuahine
Aia iā Wai? Aia iā Wai?
Aia iā Puhi. Aia iā Puhi.
Nui ‘o puhi, a li‘ili‘i au
‘A‘ole loa
Kūpe‘e ē , Kūpe‘e ē
Kūpe‘e ho‘i, Kūpe‘e ho‘i
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
Na kuahine
Aia iā Wai? Aia iā Wai?
Aia iā Puhi. Aia iā Puhi.
Nui ‘o puhi, a li‘ili‘i au
‘A‘ole loa
‘Opihi ē, ‘Opihi ē
‘Opihi ho‘i, ‘Opihi ho‘i
Ua hele mai au, ua hele mai au
Na kuahine
Mai maka‘u
Na‘u e pani
I ka maka, a ‘ike ‘ole
Kēlā puhi
“Shrimp, Shrimp”
Translation
‘Ōpae ē (shrimp), ‘Ōpae ē
‘Ōpae ē
I have come to you
For my sister
With whom is she?
With puhi (eel)
Puhi is large, and I am tiny
No way
Pipipi (mollusk), Pipipi
Pipipi
I have come to you
For my sister
With whom is she?
With puhi
Puhi is large, and I am tiny
No way
Pūpū (seashell), Pūpū
Pūpū
I have come to you
For my sister
With whom is she?
With puhi
Puhi is large, and I am tiny
No way
Kûpe‘e (marine snail), Kûpe‘e
Kûpe‘e
I have come to you
For my sister
With whom is she?
With puhi
Puhi is large, and I am tiny
No way
‘Opihi (limpet), ‘Opihi
‘Opihi
I have come to you
For my sister
Fear not
For I will cover
The eyes so that
Puhi can’t see
Explore the Hula
Hula is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant or song, along with traditional Hawaiian instruments and some Western-influenced instruments like the guitar and ‘ukulele. Every movement, expression, and gesture in the hula has a specific meaning and portrays the story of the chant or song. For example, hand movements can signify aspects of nature, such as the swaying of a tree in the breeze, or the movements might convey a feeling or emotion. Hula is not just performed to entertain, but also to educate and share the cultural history of the Hawaiian people. Hula is the soul of Hawai‘i.
- Learn the hula movements for “‘Ōpae Ē, ‘Ōpae Ē,” which can be found in the accompanying video on Kalani’s resource page.
- How does each movement help to tell the story of “‘Ōpae Ē, ‘Opae Ē?”
- How can you add facial expressions to communicate what is happening in the story?
- Why do you think hula is such an important part of Hawaiian culture?
- Hula not only helps to tell stories and pass down information, but it is also a way to celebrate the natural beauty of Hawai‘i—the flowers, the mountains, the oceans, the streams, and the volcanoes.
- How is nature celebrated in “‘Ōpae Ē, ‘Ōpae Ē”?
- Why do you think it’s important for the Hawaiian people to celebrate the natural resources of the islands?
- How can we celebrate and tell stories about the natural resources in our community?
- The conservation and responsible utilization of water resources is extremely important in Hawaiian culture and is often represented through the music.
- Why is water important as a resource? How do we use it responsibly?
- How does water play a role in the sea creatures that live within it?
- How do we protect the native life of our waters?
Discover the Hawaiian Language
The Hawaiian language (‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i) is one of the oldest living languages in the world. In 1896, after the US government illegally overthrew the Hawaiian government, Hawaiian was banned in public schools, and English became the official language. The Hawaiian language was in danger of becoming extinct. Then, in 1978 the Hawaiian language was again recognized as one of the official languages of the state and immersion schools were established to revive it. Today, there are more than 20,000 speakers of the Hawaiian language, and that number is growing every year.
- Using Hawaiian pronunciation, learn the Hawaiian words below:
- Aloha: hello; farewell; until we meet again
- Mahalo: thankful; thank you; we appreciate you
- Kuleana: responsibility; to do well
- Pono: do what is right or authentic; seek righteousness; find balance; be a good person
- Hō ‘ihi: respect for your family, community, and yourself
- Welina: greetings
Explore Traditional Hawaiian Instruments
- Mele hula is traditional Hawaiian chant, enhanced by dance and a variety of rhythmic instruments.
- Using the activity Nā Kani ‘o Hawai‘i (Hawaiian Instruments) (PDF), your students will learn about five instruments that accompany traditional hula and represent the materials and sounds found in nature.
- Listen to instrument examples to explore the sounds of each instrument.
- What found objects or elements from nature can you find that are similar to these Hawaiian instruments?
- Use these instruments and found sounds to accompany your singing and hula dance on “‘Ōpae Ē,‘Ōpae Ē.”
Musical Word Wall
Add the word hula to the Musical Word Wall.
Image Credits
Hawaiian Ukuleles for Sale at Market Stall in Waikiki by Molly Marshall / Alamy Stock Photo.