I Kona - by James Kelepolo (1864-1945)

 
Aia i Kona kai ʻōpua i ka laʻi
ʻAʻohe lua e like ai me ʻoe

Malihini mākou iā ʻoe i Kona
I ke kono a ke aloha no mākou

Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
ʻAʻohe lua e like ai me ʻoe

There at Kona are the cloud banks and calm seas
Second to none, you are incomparable

We are your guests in Kona
By invitation, with love for us

Tell the refrain
Second to none, you are incomparable

Source: Recorded by Ledward Kaapana and the new I Kona, Researched by Hinauluohia


Aia i Kona ka ʻāina aloha
He ʻāina poina ʻole no mākou

Malihini mākou iā ʻoe i Kona
I ke kono a ke aloha e kamaʻāina

Mea ʻole e ka loa e ke aloha
I ke kono a ke aloha pumehana

Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
ʻAʻohe lua e like ai me ʻoe

There at Kona is the beloved land
An unforgettable land for us

We were newcomers to you in Kona
By the invitation of love to take residency

The distance is nothing due to love
By the invitation of warm affection

The story is told
There is no other like you


Source: Bishop Museum - Composed in 1929, the lyrics were given to George Naope by James Kelepolo in the early 1980s. The mele expresses the composer's love for Kona on the Island of Hawaiʻi and the reason he moved there.



Aia i Kona ka ʻāina aloha
E ʻāiina poina ʻole no mākou

E malihini mākou iā ʻoe i Kona
A ike kono a ke aloha kamaʻāina

A mea ʻole e ka loa e ke aloha
A ike kono a ke aloha pumehana

Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
ʻAʻole lua e like aʻe me ʻoe


Source: Monico Galieto (nephew of James Kelepolo) - These lyrics were sung by by George Naope