Ka Uluwehi o ke Kai

Hawaiian Song Analysis

na Edith Kanakaʻole

Papa Mele S202608, Week 6 · 8 October 2026

Nā Huaʻōlelo · Lyrics

Paukū 1

He hoʻoheno ke ʻike aku

Ke kai moana nui lā

Nui ke aloha e hiʻipoi nei

Me ke ʻala o ka līpoa

Paukū 2

He līpoa i pae i ke one

Ke one hinuhinu lā

Wela i ka lā ke hehi aʻe

Mai manaʻo he pono kēia

Paukū 3

Hoʻokohukohu ē ka limu kohu

Ke kau i luna o nā moku lā

ʻO ia moku ʻula-la-e-ho

ʻOni ana i ʻō i ʻaneʻi

Paukū 4

Haʻina mai ka puana

Ka līpoa me ka limu kohu

Hoapili ʻoe me ka paheʻe

ʻĀnoni me ka līpalu

No kēia mele · About this mele

Edith Kanakaʻole (1913-1979), a speaker of Hawaiian language, wrote this now famous song in the mid-1960s, I believe. It was recorded and appeared on the album “Hiʻipoi i ka ʻĀina Aloha – Cherish The Beloved Land” (1979, 2003).

She starts off with the following dialogue: «Hūi! Aloha kakahiaka kākou, ʻeā. E ala mai. Ke iho nei i ke kai nō hoʻi, a hele paha kākou i kahakai, ʻohi limu, no ka mea, nui ka limu paheʻe nō hoʻi, ka limu ʻeleʻele, ka līpoa nō hoʻi; a e kipa mai kākou a pau. (ʻO ) ko kākou ʻaina kakahiaka kēlā, ʻo ia hoʻi, ʻo ka limu. No ka mea, (ʻo) ka mele kēia (ʻo) ‘Ka Uluwehi o ke Kai’ nō hoʻi.»

He Hoʻolauna · Background from class

uluwehi
verdant growth, verdure; lushness
o ke kai
of-belonging to the sea
limu
seaweed
lī-
prefix. meaning limu
ka uluwehi
verdure; lushness; bounty
o ke kai
of the sea

Ka Wehewehe ʻana · Line-by-line breakdown

Paukū 1

He hoʻoheno ke ʻike aku

he hoʻoheno
a cherished thing
a cherishing; a cherished thing
ke
māka painu. when (whenever)
ʻike
to see
aku
dir., away from viewpoint
  • A cherished thing whenever seen (is…)
  • Such a beautiful thing to look upon is …

Ke kai moana nui lā

ke kai
the sea
moana
(1) the open ocean
(2)
ʻaʻano. broad, wide, extended, expansive, spread out.
(1) the open ocean
(2)
ʻaʻano. broad, wide, expansive
nui
large
lā
feeling. “out there” distant
feeling of distance “there”
  • The big ocean-sea

Nui ke aloha e hiʻipoi nei

nui ke aloha
plenty the love; much love
big the love; plenty the love
e — nei
māka painu. happening now and near
māka painu. (internal) happening now & nearby
hiʻipoi
to cherish, to protect, to tend, carry close
to cherish; to tend, care for. see. hiʻi—
  • Plenty is the aloha which is cherishing, protecting, tending
  • Plenty is the aloha which is cherishing/caring/tending
  • (internal)

Me ke ʻala o ka līpoa

me
together with
ke ʻala
the fragrance
o ka līpoa
of-belonging to the līpoa (lī- = limu)
belonging to the līpoa seaweed
me ke ʻala
together with the fragrance
  • Along with the fragrance of the līpoa

Paukū 2

He līpoa i pae i ke one

he līpoa
a līpoa seaweed
līpoa
i
māka painu. internal (ua) past completed
māka painu (internal) ua past tense
pae
to land on shore, to come ashore
✓
(1) to have come shore onto the sand
(2) clustered or grouped
i ke one
on the sand
  • It’s some līpoa which landed on the sand

Ke one hinuhinu lā

  • Alt. wording in the notes: «ke one hinuhinu»
  • the shiny sands
  • the shiny sands +there

Wela i ka lā ke hehi aʻe

wela
hot
i ka lā
(1) in the sun;
(2) by/due to the sun
(1) by/due to the sun
(2) in the sun
ke
māka painu. whenever
māka painu. when/whenever
hehi
to step on something
to stamp or step on something
aʻe
dir., up/away → movement possible ref., pulling foot up quickly
dir., sideways, away, up
  • Heated by the sun
  • Heated in the sun … whenever stepped on

Mai manaʻo he pono kēia

mai
negative command. don’t
manaʻo
think, suppose, imagine
think, imagine
he pono
a good or proper thing
any good; a good thing
kēia
this
  • Don’t think this is a good thing

Paukū 3

Hoʻokohukohu ē ka limu kohu

hoʻokohukohu
to take a fancy to; to have a crush on (PE)
(PE) to take a fancy to; to have a crush
ē
vocative particle extending sound&msg
vocative particle. carrying message/sound
ka limu kohu
the limu kohu
  • Taking a fancy to the limu kohu

Ke kau i luna o nā moku lā

ke
whenever
when/whenever
kau
settled on, sitting there
placed upon, sitting on
i luna
atop
atop, on
o nā motu lā
of those islands (rocky ʻaʻā lava)
o nā motu
on the “islands” rocky outcroppings

ʻO ia moku ʻula-la-e-ho

ʻo
topic marker
topicalizer /topic marker
ia moku
the aforementioned motu
the aforementioned rocky “island”
ʻula-la-ʻe-ho
a fun sound, having fun, oh-lā-lā
ʻula-la-e-ho
a fun sound, interjection. oh-la-la

ʻOni ana i ʻō i ʻaneʻi

ʻoni
to move around, to wiggle
to move, to wiggle
ana
the operative part of e—ana – ongoing
the operative part of e—ana, progressive marker
i ʻō
to that direction over there
there; in that direction
i ʻaneʻi
to this direction HAW fro and to ENG to and fro
here; in this direction ENG to and fro HAW fro and to

Paukū 4

Haʻina mai ka puana

the story has been told
message, story, upshot, etc
  • let the story be told
  • let the story, the message be told

Ka līpoa me ka limu kohu

  • the līpoa together with the limu kohu
  • Alt. wording in the notes: «poss. ka līpoa a me ka limu kohu»
  • (same essential meaning)

Hoapili ʻoe me ka paheʻe

hoapili
a close intimate friend
a close friend or companion
ʻoe
you (are)
you ( ==the līpoa and/or the kohu)
me
together with …
ka paheʻe
(PE) . Same as pāheʻeheʻe, seaweed.
another type of seaweed

ʻĀnoni me ka līpalu

ʻānoni
mixed together with; intertwined
mixed together
me
together with (when eaten)
ka līpalu
(PE) A seaweed much like hulu ʻīlio, and perhaps the same; edible, green, soft, slippery tufts.
me ka līpalu
together with the līpalu
  • ref., when eaten in poke, etc.

Nā Wikiō Papa · Class videos

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

Published on 2026-10-08 — Last updated on 2026-10-08
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