Minoaka - Lyrics by Joseph Kailiwihea Music by Genoa Keawe

 

E ku`u ipo aloha
He wahine u`i
Me kou minoaka
E hula mai ana oe
 
 
Kou maka palupalu
Ka`u a`e aloha mau
Ko leo nahenahe
He leo hone i ka po
 
 
Like ole kou u'i
Me hoku o ka lani
Kou mau minoaka
He u`i maoli no
 
 
Ua ka`apuni au
A puni ka honua
A ole noe like me `oe
He wahine u`i
 
 
Ha`ina ka puana
He mele no ku`u lei
Me kou minoaka
He u`i maoli no

 

Genoa Keawe
My love is
A beautiful woman
Your smile
Draws me to you
 
 
Her gentle eyes
Express her love
Her sweet voice
Like a gentle breeze in the night
 
 
Her beauty is like
A star in the heaven
Her smile,
Her beauty, so genuine
 
 
I have travelled
Throughout the earth
There is no one like you
A beautiful woman
 
 
Tell the refrain
A song for my lei, my love
Her smile
And her genuine beauty

 

Source: Marion Leong - Genoa Keawe's Hula Volume #1 - In the 1950's, a sailor moku presented these beautiful lyrics to Genoa to set to music.