Hame Pila - by Charles Kaapa

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Kaulana mai nei kahi hame pila lā
Ka ipu honehone meka huapala lā,
Huapala lā

A he hewa iho ʻoe i ka ʻamaʻama lā
He iʻa lāwalu hoʻomoemoe lā,
Moemoe lā

A e iho au i Waialua lā
I laila iho au haupa iho ʻai lā,
Iho ʻai lā

Inā ʻo mine kuʻu lio holo lā
Mea ʻole ke ʻalu iho nā pali lā,
Nā pali lā

Haʻina ʻia ma ana ka puana lā
Kaulana mai nei kahi hame pila lā,
Hame pila lā



Famous is a certain hame pila
The sweet sounding instrument which teases
The sweetheart

You are mistaken in pursing the young mullet
It is a fish for broiling in ti leaves
Lay for broiling

And when I descend to Waialua
There I will eat heartily
Will eat

If my horse were my own
Effortless would be the descent on the cliffs
The cliffs

Tell the refrain
Famous is a certain hame pila
Stringed instrument

Source: Hawaiian Hulas © 1928 Johnny Noble, 56 Miller Music Corp - Translated, edited and notated by Lalepa Koga. Hame is a transliteration of an unidentified instrument; pila refers to any stringed instrument. The juvenile mullet, verse 2, stanza 1, perhaps represents someone beyond one's reach. Verse 3, stanza 1, the descent may describe the Waialua on Molokaʻi. Cliffs, verse 3, stanza 2, represent obstacles. Music clip by Gippy Cooke