| Click Title to Access Melody Hia`ai hia`ai o ka nani `O au lehua i Hopoe Ke ona `ia mai la e ka i`iwi E ka manu hulu weo i `Ôla`a Hui: Ninipo ho`onipo i ke aloha Ka wahine ha`alewa Ha`alewa i ke kai Ke nini au la i ke one I ke kai nupanupa i Hâena Loa iki Pana`ewa i ke ala I ka lihi ka pilina o moe awakea Ke `awihi a ka ua nihi pali O ka noe lihi kai i o`u nei |
Delighted, delighted am I with your beauty Of the lehua blossoms of Hopoe Eagerly sought by the i`iwi birds The bright feathered birds of `Ôla`a Chorus: Wooing, ever wooing with love Is a woman dancing Dancing in the sea Swaying, swaying near the sands In the restless sea of Hâena Some what long is the way to Pana`ewa To come close to Moe-awakea Moving down toward the sand Are the mists that are near me at the edge of the sea |
| Source: Johnny Noble’s Collection - Noble credits this mele to King David Kalâkaua, but others credit this to Queen Lili`uokalani. Lahilahi Webb, Lili`uokalani’s companion, says the Queen wrote this song on a trip to Hawai`i. Chorus, stanza 2, the wahine dancing in the sea is Hopoe, Hi`iakaikapoliopele’s, best friend, also referenced in Verse 1, stanza 2. Jealous of the relationship between Hi`iaka and Hopoe, Pele turned Hôpoe to a rock in the sea at Kea`au. The movement of the sea over this rock makes it appear to dance or sway in the water. Translation by Mary Pukui - Music clip by Gippy Cooke | |