- Nani ka huila o Kīlauea
- I ka lawe mālie i ka laʻi
- Kowali lua la e ka hoʻolaʻilaʻi
- Kapalili i ka ʻili o ke kai
-
- Hui:
- Kaʻu wili pono ʻana i hola
nō ka ʻia
- I ka puʻuwai kapalili hoʻi
- Kaʻu hana pono ʻana i hola nō ka ʻia
- I ka puʻuwai kapalili hoʻi
-
- Nani wale hoʻi ka nohona ʻana iho
- E walea iki me Hanakahi
- Pūʻiwa au lā hikilele i ka leo
- Inā ua wale ka nahele
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- Splendid the propeller of the
Kīlauea
- Smooth-running and quiet
- It spins quietly
- Quivering the surface of the
sea
-
- Chorus:
- Perfect your twisting and
turning
- Thrills the heart
- And then I go at it
completely
- O fluttering heart
-
- Beautiful is the way of
life
- To relax a little with
Hanakahi
- I am startled at the
sound
- When it showers suddenly in the
forest
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Source: Hillier Collection - The Kilauea was an inter-island steamer that
sailed between 1860-1877, probable date of this mele. Many
songs portray the ship as a lover and the hui lyrics: huila
(propeller), wili (screw) and Hanakahi (one task) suggest
this is about an affair shortened by the departure of the
ship. Perhaps this is the reason King David Kalākaua
used the pen name of Figgs. Translator
unknown
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