Pāʻauʻau Waltz - John U. Iosepa

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Haʻaheo Pāʻauʻau i ka nani
Kilikila i ka pai a ka Moaʻe
E walea ana paha i ka ʻolu
I ka hoʻoheno a ka iʻa hāmau leo

Pau ʻole koʻu hoʻohihi
I ka nani o Pāʻauʻau
Na wai e ʻole ka ʻiʻini
Ua noho a kupa i laila

Uluwehi wale ia home
Makaʻala i ke kai o Pōlea
Hoʻolale aʻe ana e ike i ka nani
O Pāʻauʻau

 

Proud is Pāʻauʻau in its beauty
Majestic is the stirring of the trade winds
Delighting in the pleasant comfort
Cherished for the pearl oyster sought in silence

My delight is boundless
For the beauty of Pāʻauʻau
Who would not be desirous
Having lived as a familiar of that place

That home is verdant and lush
Surrounded by the sea of Pōlea
Urging one to witness the beauty
Of Pāʻauʻau

Source: Charles E. King Blue Book, Translation He Mele Aloha - Pāʻauʻau (bath enclosure) was the name of a home and pond on the Pearl City peninsula. Verse 1, stanza 2, Moaʻe is the ancient name for the trade winds; stanza 4, iʻa hāmau leo (silence) was the way Hawaiians searched for and harvested oysters. © 1943, Charles E. King Music clip by Lani Lee