Kaiona - words & music by Puakea Nogelmeier


ʻAuana hele I ka uka
I ka nahele hīhīpeʻa
ʻUme ʻia mai e ke ʻala
Ka ʻiʻini a ka puʻuwai.

Hoʻolale ʻia e nā pua
I ka nani hihimanu
Huli aku, huli mai
Ka hulina a ka puʻuwai.

E hō mai ka ʻike e hō mai
E Kaiona aloha
I kuhia mai ke ʻala
E hiki pono aku ai.

Aia I ka lae makaʻa
I ke āwawa konoūli
Pāhiʻahiʻa ka helena
Ka hihia a ka puʻuwai.

Pua mau aʻe ke onaona
E hōʻaleʻale mai ana
Haʻina mai ka puana
Ka lohia a ka puʻuwai

Wandering astray in the highlands
Through the tangling forest deeps
Drawn here by the perfumed scent
Following the desires of the heart.

Urged onward by the blossoms
By the entrancing beauty
Seeking this way and that, hither and yon
So fickle is the nature of the heart.

Grant the knowledge, share the insight
O Beloved Kaiona, goddess of the lost
Let the pathway be pointed out
Which will lead directly there.

On promontories with clear vistas
In dark forested vale
The going can be slippery and uncertain
Such are entanglements of the heart.

The sweet essence ever issues forth
Always bringing a deep stirring within
The story is know in the telling
Of the bright sparkle of the heart


Source: Liner Notes, Kealiʻi Reichel CD "Keʻalaokamaile". Kaiona is the benevolent goddess of the lost. She makes her home in the Wai`anae mountain, but responds to those in need wherever they may stray. Said to be both blind and deaf, she knows when she is called upon and sends her birds to act as guides. In the densely wooded uplands or the urban jungle, sometimes the right path is hard to distinguish. We should remember to appreciate those in our lives who are patient enough to guide us back from life’s entanglements.