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| ʻAuhea wale ʻoe e ke aloha lā E ka mea hoʻehaʻeha puʻuwai Na wai e ʻole ke aloha ia lā A he waiwai ua sila mua ia Aʻohe kohukohu o ka ua lā Ke pili mai me aʻu ka wahine uʻi ʻAia koʻu hoa a e kohu ai O ka ʻiʻiwi hulu ʻula o ka nahele Hui: ʻImi au ia ʻoe e ke aloha lā Ma na paia ʻaʻala o Puna A i hea la ʻoe i nalowale iho nei Hoʻi mai no kāua e pili | Where are you, my love The one who stirs my heart Who can help loving you Riches bound to me from the beginning The rain is not suitable When I am with a pretty woman The companion for me, truly compatible Is the red-feathered ʻiʻiwibird of the uplands Chorus: I search for you, my love In the fragrant groves of Puna Where have you disappeared to? Come back and stay with me |
Source: King's Blue Book, Copyright 1916,
1943 - This song gained popularity after it was featured in
the operetta "Prince of Hawaiʻi" and became known as "The
King's Serenade". It was also used as the theme song in the
RKO movie "Bird of Paradise" filmed in 1932 and 1951. The
song tells of a young man searching for his beloved who is
lost in the Puna district of the Big Island. He pleads for
her return. Queen Liliʻuokalani wrote a song with the same
title, December, 1874. The lyrics are almost identical but
the melody, not similar. Charles E. King acknowledges the
Queen as one of his musical mentors and he may have used
parts of the text or tune, a practice that was common in
Hawaiian music. | |