D Kûmaka ka 'ikena iâ Hi'ilawe All eyes are on Hi'ilawe G A7 D Ka papa lohi mai a'o Maukele In the sparkling lowlands of Maukele Pakele mai au i ka nui manu I have not been trapped by the gossip Hau wala'au nei puni Waipi'o Chattering everywhere in Waipi'o [wala'au = vala'au] 'A'ole nô wau e loa'a mai I am not caught A he uhiwai au no ke kuahiwi For I am the mist of the mountains He hiwahiwa au na ka makua I am the darling of the parents A he lei 'â'î na ke kupuna And a lei for the necks of grandparents No Puna ke 'ala i hali 'ia mai The fragrance is wafted from Puna Noho i ka wailele a'o Hi'ilawe And lives at Hi'ilawe waterfall Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana Tell the refrain Kûmaka ka 'ikena iâ Hi'ilawe All eyes are on Hi'ilawe [OMITA INFRA] I ka poli nô au o Ha'i wahine I was at the bosom of Ha'i, the woman I ka poli aloha o Ha'inakolo At the beloved bosom of Ha'inakolo Ho'okolo 'ia aku i ka nui manu Annoyed at the many birds I like ke ka'ina meka uahoa They were indifferent to the distress they caused He hoa 'oe no ka lâ le'ale'a You are my companion in the day of joy Na ka nui manu iho haunaele The many birds there caused a commotion E 'ole ko'u nui piha akamai It is my great skill Hala a'e nâ 'ale o ka moana The waves of the ocean overwhelm us Hao mai ka moana kau e ka weli The ocean rages fearfully Mea 'ole na'e ia no ia ho'okele But my steering is skillfull Ho'okele o 'uleu pili i ka uapo Hurry, let us go close to the wharf Honi malihini au me ku'u aloha I am your new love to be kissed He aloha ia pua ua lei 'ia My flower, my lei, my love for you Ku'u pua miulana poina 'ole Is unforgettable like the muilan flower
[Source: Sonny Cunha's Music Book - Copyright 1902 William Coney - First published under the title Halialaulani (Fond Recollections of the Chiefs) by Mrs. Kuakini, it is also credited to Martha K. Maui under the title of Ke Aloha Poina 'Ole (Unforgettable Love), but was written by Sam Li'a Kalainaina, Sr. This information was given to Larry Kimura by Sam Li'a Kalainaina, Jr. and contributed by Keola Donaghy. This mele is about a love affair at Hi'ilawe (highest waterfall in Hawai'i) and Waio'ulu, two waterfalls in Waipi'o Valley on the Big Island. The girl, from Puna, describes herself poetically as the fragrance from Puna. Distressed by the gossip mongers, she calls them chattering birds. Mist of the mountains in the 3rd verse is the poetic way of saying this is a secret love affair. Lâlâkea and Hakalaoa are streams at the top of Waip'io Valley that flow over the cliff forming the twin waterfalls of Hi'ilawe and Hakalaoa. They merge into the Hi'ilawe stream that is one of two main waterways in Waip'io Valley]
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