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Aia i ka laʻi o Keanakolu
Kuʻu lei māmane nuʻa i ke anu
Pōniu ʻailana huʻe ka manaʻo
E ike i ka nani o ia pua
Maoli pua ia no ka uka wao
Noke kuahiwi hoʻi me ke kualono
Aia i a luna o Waikiu
Ka luna o kuʻu pua i kaʻana ai
Kaʻana pū no wau me ke anu
Kuʻu hoa i ke anu ao Hakalau
Lauahi kō ʻlima lā e ka hoa
Ke aka kau o ke ao nāulu
Ulu hua wale au ia Waiau
Ka piko kaula o ka ʻāina
I laila ka wai hū a Kāne
Ia wai kaulana helu minuke
Pupū ike ʻole ia iho ia
He ihona na ka lima hema ʻeha ʻoe
Maka ʻaoao ʻākau mai ʻoe
O loaʻa i ka hema lā palupalu
Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
Aia i ka laʻi o Keanakolu
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There in the calm of
Keanakolu
My māmane blossom thrives in
the cold
An overwhelming desire
engulfs the mind
To see the beauty of that
flower
It is a native flower of the
upland forest
Growing in the mountain ridges
tall
Up on the heights of
Waikiu
It is the upland my blossom
is fond of
I enjoy the pleasure of being
cold
With my love in the chill of
Hakalau
Your hands are ever adept, oh
love
As you stand in the shadow
of the rain clouds
I am annoyed with Waiau
The famous lake at the
summit of the land
There is found the gushing
spring of Kāne
The famous water that flows
minute by minute
Should you be careless in
descending,
Down the left side, you'll be
hurt
Take the right hand side in
going
Lest you slip to the left and
be weakened
Thus ends my song
Of the calm of Keanakolu
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Source: Penny Kelii -This mele appeared in
the Parker Ranch newspaper of 1967. Keanakolu, beyond Pāhala in the
Kaʻū district of Hawaiʻi, is where 3 caves, connected by tunnels,
is believed to be located. Māmane, a native tree found at high altitudes,
has narrow leaves and usually yellow flowers. The hard wood was used for
spades and hōlua sled runners. Translated by Kanani Kamai, Edited
by Lalepa Koga, Photo Credit G. Maguire, Music clip by Gippy Cooke
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Māmane trees in bloom |