Kamakahala - Traditional

Aia la i ka pua o ke Kamakahala
E noho mai la i Nuʻuanu
E walea ana paha ka wahine hele lā
I ke kuʻi pua lei ʻāhihi

Lihaliha i ka makahawai o uka
E noho mai la kanahele
Kīkepa ka ʻohu i na pali
Ka noe ua Kūkalahale

A he mea mau no i ke kanaka
ʻO ka ʻono wale aku noʻi ka iʻa nui
E māʻalo i kuʻu maka
ʻAʻole paha ia ʻoe ia wahi e

 There is a flower, kamakahala
Dwelling there in Nuʻuanu
Pleasing perhaps, the lady who walks in the sunlight
Braiding the ʻāhihi lei

Overwhelmed by the damp upland growth
Dwelling in the forest
The mist gliding by the hillside
The misty Kūkalahale rain

It is a usual thing with humans
To long for the "big fish"
That passes before my eyes
And perhaps, it is no business of yours

Source: "This Is Bill Kaiwa" CD - Translation by Mary Pûku`i