Pua Kolū - by Pila Wilson

Ua ʻike aʻe nei au
I ka nani o ka pua kolū
Melemele kohu hulu manu
Palupalu ke ʻike aku

Nā kukū e ʻoi ana
Hoʻehaʻeha i ka lima la
I ka hele ʻana a kokoke
O ka mea hoʻohihi i ka uʻi

Loaʻa ka pua kūpaoa
Paʻa naʻe ʻoe i ke kukū
O ka pua mae koke wale
ʻAʻole ʻoe e pakele aku

Haʻina ʻia mai ka puana
No ka pua kolū nani loa
Hele no ʻoe a kokoke
Paʻa aʻole pakele aku
I have recently seen
The beauty of the Kolū flower
Yellow like the bird's feathers
Soft to look upon
 
The thorns so sharp
Hurt the hand
When approached
By a person taken with the beauty
 
The strongly perfumed flower is obtained
But you are caught on the thorns
Of that quickly fading flower
And you can`t escape
 
Tell the refrain
Of the beautiful Kolū flower
You get up close
And you`re caught, no escape 

Source: "Cracked Seed" by Sunday Manoa Panini Productions, Inc, Po Box 15808, Hon HI 96815. The Kolū (Acacia farnesiana) is a thorny shrub with fragrant round orange flowers used in the perfume industry.