Pua Roselani - Words & music by Charles E. King

Ua ʻike maka au i ka nani
O ka uka ʻiu o Kapela
I laila hoʻoheno ai nā manu
Me ka pua ʻala onaona

Hui:
Aloha kuʻu pua roselani
Kuʻu pua i ʻanoiʻi ai la
He nani lua ʻole kou
Nou ka ʻiʻini a loko
Puīa ia uka i ke ʻala
He ala hoʻohihi naʻu
He lei onaona ʻoe la
Haʻaheo hoʻi au ko aloha

Ua nani kuʻu pua roselani
Ua noho ia e ka onaona
He lei he wehi ʻoe no kuʻu kino
A he lei makamae ʻoe naʻu


 I have seen the beauty
Of the distant upland of Kapela
There the birds delight one
And the fragrance of the flowers

Chorus:
Aloha to my roselani
The flower I am fond of
Yours is a beauty incomparable
The desire of my heart
The upland is imbued with fragrance
A fragrance that appeals to me
A sweet lei are you
That makes me, your lover, proud

Beautiful is my roselani
A flower ever fragrant
A lei to adorn my body
A precious lei are you to me
Source: King's Hawaiian Melodies - The roselani or lokelani is the pink rose of Castile introduced to Hawaiʻi in the early days of foreign travel. It has a round leaf and is very thorny. It once grew abundantly on Maui, but is now rare and has been substituted by the small common red rose. The Kahuli, another rose that blooms pale and subsequently darkens, is also confused with the true lokelani. Translated by Mary Pukui. © 1926, 43, Charles E. King