Kuʻu Leialoha

Hawaiian Song Analysis

na Charles E. King

Papa Mele S202608, Week 4 · 24 September 2026

Nā Huaʻōlelo · Lyrics

Paukū 1

A ʻo ke ʻala

Ka i hiki mai

Na ke ahe lau makani

Hali mai ioʻu nei

Paukū 2

Hiki kō aloha

Kau mai ka haliʻa

Nou hoʻokahi

E kuʻu ipo nōhea

Hui 1

Kuʻu Leialoha

E kuʻu lei makamae

Aia me ʻoe ka haliʻa, ka ʻanoʻi

A nēia puʻuwai

Hui 2

Hoʻokahi mea nui

ʻO ka leo o ke aloha

Ke pane mai ʻolu au

Maha nei puʻuwai

No kēia mele · About this mele

To be performed “slowly with feeling”

© 1925 Charles E. King

He Hoʻolauna · Background from class

Kuʻu Leialoha
my beloved Leialoha

Ka Wehewehe ʻana · Line-by-line breakdown

Paukū 1

A ʻo ke ʻala

a
just for sound, introduces
(1) and;
(2) just a sound to introduce «ʻo»
ʻo
topicalizer, “as for…” “as to…”
ke ʻala
the fragrance

Ka i hiki mai

ka
the
ka i
short for «ka mea i»
mea
dakine – a person, thing, place
i
māka painu verb marker/aspect past
māka painu. past tense, internal
hiki mai
arrived in this direction
came to to me; arrived here
ka mea i …
long form of «ka i» – the one which/who…

Na ke ahe lau makani

na
marker of kālele ʻākena (actor-emphatic) na + doer + action
marker for Pepeke Kālele ʻĀkena na + doer + action
ke ahe
the wafting
the breeze, gentle breeze; the wafting
lau
(1) leaf;
(2) numerous;
(3) “lick of wind”
(1) the caress of the wind
makani
wind “The wind whispers . . .” — Elizabeth K.
wind
  • (actor/agent-emphatic)

Hali mai ioʻu nei

[ i ]
past tense marker
hali
to carry, to transport
to carry, transport
mai
dir., towards the viewpoint
iō
ʻami. like «iā» but high register sim., «i mua o»
e.g., Ua hele ʻoia iō Kamehameha. into his presence
iō aʻu → ioʻu
to me higher register than «iaʻu»
cf., iā + aʻu = iaʻu
nei
feeling of here, now, and close
nearby, now
hali mai
to bring
ioʻu
cf., iaʻu — to me iō – high regsiter for «iā» iō — a sortening of «i mua o» (before, in the presence of)

Paukū 2

Hiki kō aloha

hiki
to arrive, to approach
to arrive
ko / kō
your w/love OR your personal
your (affectionate OR personal)
aloha
love
  • cf., kuʻu
  • cf., kuʻu — (my very own, my beloved)

Kau mai ka haliʻa

kau
hehele. on top of, placed on top of resting upon
hehele. perched, placed, settled; «Ua kau ka hau ma Mauna Kea»
ka haliʻa
the memories, the recollections, etc
the memory, the recollection
  • The memory has returned and is resting in my mind/heart
  • cf., hoʻokau—to place sth on sth
  • cf., hoʻokau—to place sth onto sth

Nou hoʻokahi

nou
for you, about you, of you
ʻami+papani. for you, about you
hoʻokahi
alone, one
alone, one, only, single

E kuʻu ipo nōhea

e
ʻami. term of address
ipo nōhea
a handsome, lovely, good looking sweetheart, “so fine”
kuʻu ipo
my precious/dear sweetheart
nōhea
lovely, handsome

Hui 1

Kuʻu Leialoha

  • my beloved Leialoha

E kuʻu lei makamae

e
term of address
kuʻu lei
my beloved lei (person loved)
my precious
makamae
precious
beloved and precious

Aia me ʻoe ka haliʻa, ka ʻanoʻi

aia me ʻoe
there with you
ka haliʻa
the fond memories, rememberance
the memory, etc.
ka ʻanoʻi
the desire, the yearning, the longing
the desire, the longing

A nēia puʻuwai

a
of-created by
nēia
this here (near or on me);
cf., kēia part of yourself, within yourself
kaʻi. this here (connected to me, part of me)
puʻuwai
heart
heart (seat of emotions)
  • cf., kēia

Hui 2

Hoʻokahi mea nui

hoʻokahi
quant. one
one quanty.
mea nui
important thing

ʻO ka leo o ke aloha

ʻo
topicalizer
the topicalizer
ka leo
the voice
o
of-belonging to
cf., a
of-created by
ke aloha
love, the love
ka leo o ke aloha
the voice that belongs to love
cf., ka leo a ke aloha
the voice created by the lover
a
of-created by
  • (it’s part of love’s nature)
  • ← the «mea nui»
  • Alt. wording in the notes: «✓ ka leo o ke aloha»
  • the voice belonging to love (part of it)
  • Alt. wording in the notes: «ka leo a ke aloha»
  • the voice created by the lover

Ke pane mai ʻolu au

ke
māka painu. when/whenever
pane mai
to answer towards me
to answer, to reply +dir., towards us
ʻolu
pleased, comforted, my stress level goes down
au
I
ʻolu au
I am pleased; I am comfortable → I am comforted I am soothed; I am not worried

Maha nei puʻuwai

maha
at ease, resting, comforted, not worried
at rest, at ease, in repose → not worried
nei
kaʻi. short for «nēia»
short form of «nēia» — this here, my
puʻuwai
heart
  • cf., hoʻomaha—to take a rest

Nā Wikiō Papa · Class videos

Coming soon. The edited class video for this mele is being prepared and will appear here.

Published on 2026-09-24 — Last updated on 2026-09-24
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