Nā Huaʻōlelo · Lyrics
Paukū 1
ʻElua māua e Puna ē
Ua ʻike ʻia kou nani ē—
Ka ʻāina nō ia no kuʻu aloha
No kuʻu aloha
Paukū 2
Ua hui māua me nā ʻohana ē
Ua piha hauʻoli ē—
A me ke aloha poina ʻole
Ke aloha poina ʻole
Paukū 3
He nani ʻo Mauna Kea ē
A me ka pua lehua ē—
Hanohano o Hawaiʻi
Hanohano o Hawaiʻi
Paukū 4
Puana kou inoa e Puna ē
Ua ʻike ʻia kou nani ē—
Ka ʻāina nō ia no kuʻu aloha
No kuʻu aloha
Paukū 5
Haʻina ʻia mai he ʻāina ē
Ua nani, ua kaulana ē—
A me ke aloha poina ʻole
Ke aloha poina ʻole
No kēia mele · About this mele
This mele won second place in the First Annual City & County of Honolulu Hawaiian Song Writing competition in 1950 and has been much loved and performed ever since.
Nā Laʻana · Song examples
- Agnes Malabey With Julia Nui’s Kamaainas (date unknown, perhaps 1950, 51, or 52)
- Agnes Malabey Weisbarth & Makaha Serenaders (Sunset At Makaha, 1971)
- Dennis Pavao (Ka Leo Kiʻekiʻe, 1986)
- hula: Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua w/Ei Nei (2025 Merrie Monarch Fundraiser)
He Hoʻolauna · Background from class
- Puna
- place district, Hawaiʻi island
- kuʻu
- my, with extra aloha
- aloha
- (1) love;
- (2) the thing I love; loved one
1950
Katherine Maunakea
Ka Wehewehe ʻana · Line-by-line breakdown
Paukū 1
ʻElua māua e Puna ē
- ʻelua
- two
- māua
- we (not incl. person addressed)
- e
- ʻami. term of address
- ē
- extending meaning via the sound, “vocative particle” from chanting technique
- We are two, Puna
Ua ʻike ʻia kou nani ē—
- ua
- māka painu. past tense
- ʻike
- to see, know
- ʻia
- passive marker. ʻike ʻia = has been seen
- kou
- your
- nani
- beauty
- Your beauty has been seen/known
Ka ʻāina nō ia no kuʻu aloha
- ka ʻāina
- the land.
- esp., inhabited
- nō
- indeed
- no
- ʻami. for
No kuʻu aloha
- (as above)
Paukū 2
Ua hui māua me nā ʻohana ē
- hui
- to meet together w/someone
- māua
- we two
- me
- together with
- nā ʻohana
- the families
- We met with the families
Ua piha hauʻoli ē—
- piha
- full/filled
- hauʻoli
- happiness, joy
- We were filled with joy
A me ke aloha poina ʻole
- a me
- and (joining two nouns)
- a
- and
- me
- together
- ke aloha
- love
- poina
- to forget
- ʻole
- not
- And with unforgettable love
Ke aloha poina ʻole
- (same)
Paukū 3
He nani ʻo Mauna Kea ē
alt., He nani ʻiʻo ʻo Mauna Kea ē
- he nani
- a beauty
- ʻo
- indicating a coming name
- ʻo Mauna Kea
- (is) Mauna Kea.
- fig., Katherine
- Mauna Kea is a beauty
A me ka pua lehua ē—
- a me
- and together with
- ka pua
- the flower
- lehua
- lehua blossom.
- fig., the man strong, handsome; from Puna
- Together with the lehua blossom
Hanohano o Hawaiʻi
- hanohano
- glorious (thing)
- o
- of-belonging to
- ʻo
- (is)
- Hawaiʻi
- the island
- alt., Hanohano ʻo Hawaiʻi
- (1) …the glorious lehua flower of Hawaiʻi
- (2) …the lehua flower; Hawaiʻi is glorious
- (3) … Hawaiʻi is glorious (ref., Mauna Kea)
Hanohano o Hawaiʻi
Same line as above — see the breakdown there.
Paukū 4
Puana kou inoa e Puna ē
- puana
- to declare, pronounce
- kou inoa
- your name
- e Puna
- Puna, addressing it
- ( = «E puana ʻia / kou inoa)
Ua ʻike ʻia kou nani ē—
Same line as above — see the breakdown there.
Ka ʻāina nō ia no kuʻu aloha
- Puna
- cf., kupuna — ancestor
- Alt. wording in the notes: «ʻO ka ʻāina nō ia no kuʻu aloha»
No kuʻu aloha
- It’s the land indeed for/belonging to my beloved
- Alt. wording in the notes: «kuʻu aloha»
- my (w/love) beloved
Paukū 5
Haʻina ʻia mai he ʻāina ē
- haʻina
- let it be told
- ʻia
- passive
- mai
- towards the viewpoint
- he ʻāina
- a place
Ua nani, ua kaulana ē—
- It’s beauty, (and) it’s famous
A me ke aloha poina ʻole
Same line as above — see the breakdown there.
Ke aloha poina ʻole
Same line as above — see the breakdown there.
Nā Wikiō Papa · Class videos
Coming soon. The edited class video for this mele is being prepared and will appear here.