Hilo March - Words & music by Joseph Kapaeau Ae`a

ʻAuhea wale ʻoe e ke ʻala tuberose
He moani ʻaʻala i ke ano ahiahi
Ua like me ka lau vabine
I ka hoene i ka poli pili paʻa

Hui:
ʻIke hou ana i ka nani aʻo Hilo
I ka uluwehiwehi o ka lehua
Lei hoʻohihi
Hiʻi a ka malihini
Mea ʻole i ke kono a ke aloha

E aloha aʻe ana i ka makani Puʻulena
Ka makani kaulana o ka ʻāina
Home noho a na ʻiʻiwi polena
Mea ʻole i ke kono a ke aloha

Nani wale no Hilo
I ka ua Kanilehua
Me he mea ala e ʻi mai ana
Eia iho a hiki mai

Heed the fragrance of the tuberose
Fragrance wafted at at evening time
Like verbena leaves
Singing in the heart, tightly clasped

Chorus:
Behold again the beauty of Hilo
And the beautiful grove of lehua
Cherished lei
Worn by visitors
Nothing deters the invitation of love

Greeting the Puʻulena wind
Famous wind of the land
Home of scarlet honey-creepers
Not indifferent to the call of love

Hilo is so beautiful
With the rustling of lehua in the rain
As though saying
Wait until the princess comes


Source: Nā Mele o Hawaiʻi Nei - Aeʻa, a member of the Royal Hawaiian Band composed this song in the summer of 1881, on the eve of the band's departure to Hilo. They accompanied Princess Lydia Liliʻuokalani Kamakaeha Kaalanialiʻi Neweweliʻi on a 10-day tour of the Big Island. The original title was Ke ʻAla Tuberose and was set to a slower tempo. Berger arranged it as a march for the band and first played it in Hilo. It has been adopted as the island song of Hawaiʻi, the big island.
Puʻulena is the cold wind at Kîlauea. Translated by Sam Elbert & Noelani Mahoe