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Ulu lei, ʻo lei lehua Lei lehua, ʻo lei lehua Lei lehua, ʻo lei lehua ʻO nā lei, lei uʻi ē He wahi lio Lehua kou inoa lā Hanohano wale ʻoe Hawaiʻi lā E like kou holo ʻana me ka ʻōʻio lā Ke kolo, ke kuli, ke kuʻi kolo iho ʻoe ʻAuhea wale ʻoe te wahine holo lio Pua nani aʻo Hawaiʻi lā Aloha i ka Hawaiian cowboy Ulu lei, ʻo roselani Roselani, ʻo roselani Roselani, ʻo roselani ʻO nā lei, lei uʻi ē He wahi lio Roselani kou inoa lā Kilakila wale ʻoe o Maui lā E like kou holo ʻana me ka ʻōʻio lā Ke kolo, ke kuli, ke kuʻi kolo iho ʻoe ʻAuhea wale ʻoe te wahine holo lio Pua nani aʻo Maui lā Aloha i ka Hawaiian cowboy Ulu lei, ʻo lei ʻilima Lei 'ilima, ʻo lei ʻilima Lei ʻilima, ʻo lei ʻilima ʻO nā lei, lei uʻi e Haʻalele mai au i Honolulu lā Hoʻi mai au i ka ʻāina malihini Ke kau ʻana aku i ka lio Kaleponi Ua fāfā mai lā ʻo Lehua He wahi lio kalakoa ko Ka ʻāina malihini lā In San Francisco by the Golden Gate Aloha i ka Hawaiian cowboy Haʻina mai o ka puana Lei lehua, ʻo roselani Haʻina mai o ka puana ʻO na lei, lei uʻi e I'm heading for the last roundup ʻAuhea wale ʻoe te wahine holo lio E like kou holo ʻana me ka ʻōʻio lā Ke kolo, ke kuli, ke kuʻi kolo iho ʻoe ʻAuhea wale ʻoe te wahine holo lio Pua nani ʻoe Hawaiʻi lā Aloha i ka Hawaiian cowboy Roselani dandee |
Trot (my) wreath, o wreath of lehua Lehua wreath, o wreath of lehua Lehua wreath, o wreath of lehua The wreaths, the beautiful lei You are a fine horse, Lehua is your name Magnificent one of Hawaiʻi Your ride is smooth like the bonefish You crouch, work the knees, and you post Listen you, oh horsewoman Beautiful blossom of Hawaiʻi The love of the Hawaiian cowboy Trot (my) garland, o garland of roses Heavenly rose, o heavenly rose Heavenly rose , o heavenly rose The garlands, the beautiful lei You are a fine horse, Roselani is your name Majestic one of Maui Your ride is smooth like the bonefish You crouch, work the knees, and you post Listen you, oh horsewoman Beautiful blossom of Maui The love of the Hawaiian cowboy Trot (my) wreath, o wreath of ʻilima ʻIlima wreath, o wreath of ʻilima ʻIlima wreath, o wreath of ʻilima The wreaths, the beautiful wreaths I depart from Honolulu Coming back to foreign lands Mounting a California steed Lehua said "don't do that" A horse of many colors has The foreign land In San Francisco by the Golden Gate Who loves the Hawaiian cowboy Tell the refrain of Garland of lehua, roses Tell the refrain Of the wreaths, the beautiful wreaths I'm heading for the last roundup Listen you, oh horsewoman Your ride is smooth like the bonefish You crouch, work the knees, and you post Listen you, oh horsewoman You are the beautiful blossom of Hawaiʻi The love of the Hawaiian cowboy |
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Source: Solomon (Kolomone) Kamaluhiakekipikealiʻikaʻapunikukealaokamahanahana Bright's father was Andrew Iaukea Bright, half Hawaiian and half Castilian. His mother, Alice Keahi Kekipi was pure Hawaiian. Sol K. Bright, Sr. on tour with a 5-piece band and 2 hula dancers in 1933, composed this song at the Tahitian Hut in San Francisco. Playing to a packed house, he was asked during intermission about cowboys in Hawaiʻi. He told them about the 1908 rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where his cousin, Ikua Purdy of the Big Island, accompanied by 3 other cowboys from Hawaiʻi, won the grand prize. This event is recorded in the song "Waiomina". After intermission, on his way to the stage, he noticed the guitar player with a woman who put a $20.00 bill on the table everytime the musician would yodel. He told the guitarist, "You take 16 bars and let me have 16 bars". Bright started yodelling his 16 bars and composed this song on the spot Translation Puakea Nogelmeier, Hui by Kaiu Kanoa, Hawaiian Text edited by Puakea Nogelmeier © 1936 |