Kūwiliwili ʻIho Au - Henri Berger

Hui:
Kūwiliwili iho au
A he māpu maoli no
O ka hanu ʻaʻala kuʻu ipo lā
Kūwili o ka pili aumoe

ʻO ka waimaka pū me ʻoe
Ka mau pu aku me ka ihu
Good-bye pū kāua lā
ʻOiai ka pilina ua laʻi

Hoʻoniponipo iho au e moe
ʻOʻeʻoʻe ana ko ia la kuli
Kuhi au la ʻo sa liʻa lā
Kuʻu hoa hoʻonipo o ka pō

Chorus:
I am all a-whirl
When I notice the fragrance,
The sweet breath of my darling
Which stirs me at night

You are in tears
When you kiss me
As we bid each other good-bye
While we're together, we're content

I try to go to sleep
When I feel knees prodding
I guess it is my honey
My love-making mate of the night


Henri Berger

Source: "Bill Kaiwa Sings at Maunalahilahi", Hula Records H-519 - Berger, the Royal Hawaiian bandmaster, knew the Hawaiian language, but may not have been familiar with the kaona of poetry when he composed this very graphic love song. Hui, stanza 2, ka iwi hilo is an old Hawaiian poetic phrase meaning throbbing to the depths or very core of one's being. Translated by Kini Sullivan, Copyright 1929, 57 CBS Miller