Ua nani nā hono a Piʻilani
I ke kū kilakila i ka ʻōpua
ʻO kuʻu pua kukui aia i Lanikāula
ʻO ka hene wai ʻolu lana mālie
Hui:
Ua like no a like
Me (*nani) kuʻu one hānau
Ke poʻokela i ka piko o nā kuahiwi
Me Moloka`i (nui) a Hina
ʻĀina i ka wehiwehi
E hoʻi no au e pili
ʻAe ʻae
E ka makani ē
E pā nei me ke aheahe
ʻAuhea kuʻu pua kalaunu
Kiʻekiʻe Hālawa i ke alo o nā pali
Ka heke no ia i kaʻu ʻike
Lupalupa lau lipo i ke ohe o ka palai
Ma kuʻu poli mai ʻoe e hoʻoheno nei
Alternate 2nd verse
Ua nani Hālawa i ke alo pali
Ua ku hoʻokahi kuahiwi
Ao ʻoe kuʻu ipo e hiaʻai nei
Ma kuʻu poli mai ʻoe e honehone ai
*older version uses nani
|
How beautiful are the bays of
Piʻilani
- That stand majestically in the
billowy clouds
- My kukui blossom is at
Lanikāula
- All is calm and still
Chorus:
Alike
The (*beautiful) sands of my birth
The tops of all mountains
And Hina's great
Moloka`i
Festive land
May I return to stay,
Yes,
yes
O wind
Blow gently
Heed, my crown flower
Hālawa is high amidst the
cliffs
Highest I have ever seen
And here are lush leaves and
green ferns
So you are loved within my
arms
Beautiful Hālawa before the cliff
Where only one mountain stands
You are the darling in whom I delight
Let me embrace you with affection
-
|
Source: Na Mele
o Hawaiʻi by West Maui Hawaiʻi Civic Club. Alternate 2nd verse from
Mary Pukui, Kamehameha Schools Collection
- Some attribute this to Matthew Kane, a Molokaʻi born composer,
and
others
claim
the composer
is
unknown or may have visited Molokaʻi at the turn of the
century. The melody was borrowed from "Tenting Tonight",
taught in island schools at that time. Hina was the mythical
mother of Molokaʻi, Piʻilani, an ancient chief of Maui.
Lanikāula is the kukui grove of the famous prophet of that name and
Hālawa is a valley, both in east Molokaʻi. The four references to height,
common
in Hawaiian symbolic language attests to the superiority of
the island. Translation by Mary Pukui. Music clip by Gippy Cooke
|