Ē Māmā Ē - Words & music by Hiram Kaehu

Ē Māmā ē mai ʻoe
Hele aʻe nō au
A huli hoʻi mai

Hele ʻia i ka lā o ka leʻale'a
A komo ke aloha
A huli hoʻi mai

ʻO wau kāu i kapa mai ai
He līʻō Kaleponi
Piʻi nō ka hui

ʻO ka piʻi no kaʻu a Kapiʻolani
ʻO ka lina poepoe
Hoʻokahi mile

I laila ʻoe i kākele ʻia ai
He ʻole ka puni
Kapiʻolani pāka

Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
Ē māmā ē
Mai ʻoe

Dear Mom, do not cry
I depart
But will return

Gone to a day of pleasure
Once I find love
I shall come back

Iʻm the one you call
A California horse
Improving the team


I go to race at Kapiʻolani Park
On the race track
One mile long

There you get rubbed with oil
It's nothing to circle
Kapiolani Park


Tell the story in the refrain
O Mom
Don't you cry

 

Source: Johnny Noble’s Royal Collection of Hawaiian Songs - Written in the 1920's, this is a favorite of the falsetto singing style. Translated by Puakea Nogelmeir, Hawaiian Text edited by Puakea Nogelmeier © 1928 John Noble Rights throughout the world controlled by Miller Music Corp.