Pāʻauʻau Hula - Words by John U. Iosepa, Music by Charles King
Aia i ka iʻa ha mau leo
Ka ʻiʻini, ka haliʻa, ka haʻupu ʻana ka

Haʻupu aʻe ana ka manaʻo e ʻike
E ʻike i ka nani o Pāʻauʻau o, Pāʻauʻau

E ʻauʻau ia wai kamahaʻo
Ia wai hoʻoheno a ka malihini

Malihini hoʻi kuʻu ʻike ia ʻoe
Kamaʻāina no naʻe i ke aloha

ʻO mai ka wahine nona ka lei
Kūliaikanuʻu e ō mai

A Pāʻauʻau au ʻike i ka nani
Ka waiho kāhela mai i ka laʻi

I laila hoʻola`i ai nā manu la
Mikiʻala i ka nani o nā pua

He ua no ʻoe ua ona ia
He lei ʻāʻî no ke kūpuna

Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
Kūlia ka wahine noho i ke kapu

There, where the silent fish is found
The desire, the interest, the remembrance

I yearn once more to see
To see the beauty of Pāʻauʻau, of Pāʻauʻau

To bathe in that wondrous pool
The pool that delights visitors

I was a stanger when I first saw it
But became acquainted through friendliness

Answer, o lady whose lei song this is
Kūliaikanuʻu, answer

At Pāʻauʻau I saw the beauty
Lying before me in the calm

There the birds paused
Enthralled by the beauty of the flowers

You are a very attractive flower
A neck lei for your ancestors

This is the end of our song
Kūlia is a woman who swells with kapus
Source: Mary Pukui collection - This song was dedicated to Hon. John F. Colburn, cousin of Lahilahi Webb, whose home was called Paaʻuʻau in rememberance of the pool in Ewa. Verse 5, stanza 2, Kūliaikanuʻu, the motto of Queen Kapiʻolani, was also the name of Mrs. Colburn. Verse 8, stanza 2, "neck lei" means a beloved child. Translation & explanation Mary Pukui