Iā ʻOe E Ka Lā E ʻAlohi Nei - by Nahinu
Iā ʻoe e ka lā e ʻalohi nei ʻeā Ma nā welelau ma nā welelaua ʻo ka honua Hōʻike aʻe ʻoe i kou nani ʻeā I ka mālamalama, i ka mālamalama ʻoi kelakela Nāu i nōiʻi nōwelo aku ʻeā Pau nā pali paʻa, pau nā pali paʻa i ka ʻike ʻia ʻIke ʻoe i ka nani aʻo Himela ʻeā Ka hene wai ʻolu, ka hene wai ʻolu lawe mālie Mauna i lohia me ke onaona ʻeā Kaulana i ka nani, kaulana i ka nani me ke kiʻekiʻe Kiʻekiʻe ʻo ka lani noho mai i luna ʻeā Nau i aʻe nā, nau i aʻe nā kapu o Kahiki Hehihehi kū ana i ka huku ʻale ʻeā I ke kai hālaʻi, i ke kai hālaʻi lana mālie Kiʻina ʻia aku nā pae moku ʻeā I hoa kui lima, i hoa kui lima nou e Kalani Ma ia mau alanui malihini ʻeā Au i ʻōlali, au i ʻōlali hoʻokahi ai O ka lama o ke ao kou kokua ʻeā Hōkūloa no, hōkūloa no kou alakaʻi Lilo i mea ʻole nā enemi ʻeā Lehelehe ʻeuʻeu, lehelehe ʻeuʻeu hana loko ʻino He ola ʻo Kalani a mau aku ʻeā A kau i ke ao, a kau i ke ao mālamalama Hea no wao ʻo mai ʻoe ʻeā O ka lani Kawika, o ka lani Kawika kou inoa Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana ʻeā No Kalākaua, no Kalākaua no he inoa	To you, O sun shining down Throughout the ends of the world   Show forth your beauty The greatest of all lights    It is you who seek and delve Till the solid cliffs yield their secrets    You'll see the beauty of the Himalayas The gentle slope of refreshing water    A mountain rich with fragrance Famed for its beauty and height   High above sits my royal chief You who tread the sacred places of Kahiki   Treading on the rising billows of waves And over the calm tranquil sea    Reaching out to other islands For companions to go hand in hand with you    Over those unfamiliar trails You walk alone    The light of the day shall be your help The morning star your guide    Your enemies become nothing The evil ones with jabbering mouths    Long may you live, O heavenly one Till you reach the world of light    I call, you answer Heavenly one, David is your name This is the end of my chant In honor of Kalākaua
Source: Na Mele Welo Translated by Mary Pukui - There are several versions of this chant. Chiefess Nahinu, a cousin of Queen Kapiʻolani, composed this song in 1881, for King Kalākaua before he left on his world tour. This was a prayer wishing him successs and happiness on his long journey. The aged kaula or seer, from the old school, was from Kauaʻi and her meles were prophetic. Verse 2 refers to the regions of the Himalayas, the home of the Brahmins. The King was initiated into the Brahmin brotherhood at their hidden and most sacred temple. Himela is also interpreted as the sexual organs of a woman. There is also an expression of a secret love affair between the King and a Danish beauty. Pali paʻa in verse 3 and mauna in verse 5 is the kaona for the body of a woman. The stamping on taboos in verse 6 refers to the belief that royalty was exempt from the taboos of ordinary people. Kahiki is Hawaiian for Tahiti or any foreign country. Huku ʻale in verse 7 is symbolic of the action of the female sexual organs.