Prince William Pitt Leleiohoku II (1854–1877), was a poet and composer of many Hawaiian mele (songs),[1] mostly love songs. He was the youngest of the Na Lani ʻEhā ("Royal Four"), which included his sisters Queen Liliʻuokalani (1838–1917) and Princess Miriam Likelike (1851–1887) and his brother King David Kalākaua (1836–1891). Leleiohoku and his siblings are credited with the musical revival enjoyed by Hawaiians during the last half of the 19th century. Many of his compositions adapted folk tunes of visiting merchants, sailors, and foreign settlers.
Liliʻuokalani said that Leleiohoku had a talent for composition "really in advance" of herself and Likelike. He founded the Kawaihau Singing Club and soon he and his colleagues were winning most of the royal song club competitions. Many claimed that he had one of the best male voices among native Hawaiians.[2]
Kāua I Ka Huahuaʻi, translated as "We Two in the Spray", is considered one of Leleiohoku's greatest compositions. The song dates to the 1860s written when the Prince was 10–14 years old. It was recorded in 1913 by the Hawaiian Quintette. The song became popular around 1930, when Johnny Noble, bandleader at the Moana Hotel on Waikiki Beach, transformed it into the very jazzy: "Tahuwahuwai", better known as The Hawaiian War Chant.[3] Despite the English name, this song was never a war chant.[4] Unlike the immortal Aloha Oe of his sister Liliʻuokalani, the original lyrics of this love song are no longer popular but the melody of the song is known as "The Hawaiian War Chant".[5] The Hawaiian lyrics describe a clandestine meeting between two lovers.
[6] [7]
Kāua i ka huahuaʻi You and I in the spray E ʻuhene lā i pili koʻolua Such joy, the two of us together Pukukuʻi lua i ke koʻekoʻe Embracing tightly in the coolness Hanu lipo o ka palai Breathing deep of the palai fern Hui: Chorus: Auē ka huaʻi lā Oh, such spray ʻAuhea wale ana ʻoe Listen E kaʻu mea e liʻa nei My desire Mai hōʻapaʻapa mai ʻoe Don't linger O loaʻa pono kāua Lest we be found I aloha wau iā ʻoe I loved you I kāu hanahana pono Your warmth Laʻi aʻe ke kaunu me ia la Calmed passion Hōʻapaʻapai ka manaʻo Preventing thought
Nu`a O Ka PalaiThis song can be found in Hopkin's Aloha Collection. English translation was by Mary Pukui.[8]
Kau ano mai ana iaʻu la Memories come back to me Na kulu paka ua ʻeloʻelo la Of a drenching rain Elo ʻoe ʻelo au i ke anu la You were soaked, I was soaked Pulupē pau i ka anu Made cold, well-drenched and very cold Hui: Chorus: Aia i ka nuʻa ka palai la There among the thickly growing ferns Ka wewehi wai olu a loko la We found a gentle rising of love within Haliʻaliʻa mai ana la Coming little by little Iaʻu puʻuwai ka palili Into my fluttering heart Kao Hanalei i ke anu la Hanalei was make icy with the cold Hānupanupa i ke koʻekoʻe la A cold that kept growing and growing Koʻekoʻe au iā ʻoe la I was chilled by you E ka pua kuʻu pua i ka ʻia O flower, my flower so high
Ke Kaʻupu translated as "albatross", composed by Lele-io-Hoku, about a sea bird, commonly known in English as an albatross; but how could a love song honor an albatross? (An alternative name is gooney). There are two tunes to this song, the newer one from the late 1930s.[9]
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Iā māua i ho‘ola‘i iho ai While we are at peace Kaha ‘ana ke ka‘upu i ka la‘i Peacefully soars the albatross I laila ke aloha ha‘anipo And a sweetheart makes love Ha‘alipo i ka poli pumehana Makes love with warm heart Kuhi au ua like me ia nei I thought it was so Ka lalawe ninihi launa ‘ole Quiet taking over, unsurpassed ‘Akahi a ‘ike i ka noe Never before to see such mist Ua loha i ka wai ho‘olana Drooping over calmed water ‘O ka hana nipo kau ‘ē ke ānu To woo in the coolness Ua maewa poniponi i ka nōe To sway in the purple mist Poahiahi wale ka ‘ikēna And hazy view Ke koni iho koni aku koni a‘ela To throb here, throb there, throb so Hui: Chorus: Inā pēlā mai kāu hana So that's your way Pākela ‘oi aku ka pipi‘i Superior but bubbling Kāu hana ‘olu no‘eau Sweet clever acts Kohu like me Wai‘ale‘ale Like Wai`ale`ale
Wahine Hele La, or Wahine Hele La ʻO Kaiona, was a mele inoa (name song) composed by Leleiohoku for his relative Princess Bernice Pauahi. It was written after her visit to America accompanied by her husband, Charles Reed Bishop, who is referred to as Hiʻilei. Poʻaiʻai is the rain in Kahaluʻu, Oahu, and Kahoʻiwai is in Manoa Valley. English translations are by Kini Sullivan.[11]
Honi ana i ke anu i ka mea huʻihuʻi Smelling a fragrance in the cool air Huʻi hewa i ka ʻili i ka ua Pôʻaihala Chilled is the skin in the Pôʻaihala rain Lei ana i ka mokihana i ka wewehi o Kaiona Wearing a mokihana lei, the adornment of Kaiona Lîhau pue i ke anu hau`oki o Kaleponi Shivering in the cold, the icy cold of California Hui: Chorus: E ô ka wahine hele lā o Kaiona Respond, lady in the sunshine of Kaiona Alualu wai liʻulā o ke kaha puaʻohai Following the mirage where monkeypod blossoms bloom O ka ua lanipô lua pô anu o ke Koʻolau In the pouring, chilly Koʻolau rain Kuʻu hoa o ka malu kî malu kukui o Kahoʻiwai My companion in the ti and kukui grove of Kahoʻiwai Hia`ai ka welina ka neneʻe a ka ʻôhelo papa Delighting in the loveliness of creeping strawberries Puapua i ka noe mohala i ke anu Hidden in the fog that spreads in the cold Noho nô me ka ʻanoi ka manaʻo ia loko Remaining with delight within the thoughts O loko hana nui, pauʻole i ke ana ʻia So deep within, it is immeasurable A ka wailele o Niakala ʻike i ka wai ânuenue At Niagara Falls she saw rainbow hued water I ka pôʻaiʻai a ka ʻehu haliʻi paʻa i laila Surrounded by the mist that covers there Pue ana i ka ʻehu wai, pupu`u i ke koʻekoʻe Shivering in the foam, crouching in the cold " Eia iho ka mehana o ka poli o Hiʻilei Here is warmth in the bosom of Hiʻilei
Adios Ke Aloha, translates as "Goodbye My Love" and was composed by the Prince in the 1870s. The used of the Spanish phrase adios shows Leleiohoku's influence by the music of the Mexican cowboys or vaqueros. Captain George Vancouver presented a gift of longhorn cattle to King Kamehameha I, at Kealakekua Bay, in 1793. A 10-year protection was placed on the cattle to allow them to multiply and assure the island of a constant food supply. The wild cattle became a menace, and in 1832 Kamehameha III invited 3 of Mexico's best cowboys, to teach the paniolos (as the cowboys came to be known) the art of roping. The English translations are by Mary Pukui.[12] Like his sister's composition, Aloha Oe, it is a farewell song to a love one.
E kuʻu belle o ka pô laʻi laʻi My belle of the clear night Ka lawe mâlie a ka mahina When the moon shines in its tranquility Kô aniani mai nei e ke ahe And a gentle breeze plays ʻÂhea ʻoe hoʻolono mai Oh, when will you listen to me Hui: Chorus: ʻÂhea ʻoe, ʻâhea ʻoe When, when ʻOe hoʻolono mai Will you listen? I nei leo nahenahe To this gentle plea? Adios, adios ke aloha Goodbye, goodbye beloved E ka hauʻoli ʻiniki puʻu wai O happiness that grips the heart E ke aloha e maliu mai ʻoe O beloved hearken to me Ke hoʻolale mai nei e ke Kiu The Kiu breeze brings a message Ua anu ka wao i ka ua That the forest is made cold by the rain Hoʻokahi kiss One kiss Dew drops he maʻû ia As cool as a dew drop, will do E ka belle o ka noe lîhau O belle of the ice cold mist Eia au lā e ke aloha Here I am, your lover Ke huli hoʻi nei me ka noe Returning empty handed
Moani Ke ʻAla may have been written for a lover and a meeting in Manoa valley. English translations by Kini Sullivan and Mary Pukui.[13] In Moani Ke ʻAla, he poetically compares a desirable but elusive lover to the famous Puʻulena wind of Kona.
ʻAuhea ʻo moani ke ʻala Where are you my wind-borne fragrance Hoapili o mi nei My dearest, my closest companion A he aha kau hana e pāweo nei Why are you avoiding me E ka makani Puʻulena O Puʻulena breeze Hui: Chorus: Kuhi au a he pono kāia I thought all was well between us Au e hoʻapaʻapa mai nei Why do you keep me waiting? E wiki mai ʻoe i pono kāua Hurry that all may be well with us I ʻolu hoʻi au e ke hoa And I'll be pleased my dear companion Hoʻohihi aku au e ʻike lā I am longing to see I ka wai māpunapuna The bubbling spring Ua Tuahine piʻo ānuenue The Tuahine rain, the rainbow's arch ʻO ia uka ʻiuʻiu In that distant upland Eia hoʻi au ua wehi Here am I all bedecked Ua liʻa ke onaona Thrilled by the fragrance Ia wai ʻona a ka lehua And the sweet honey of lehua Wai mûkîkî a ka manu Honey sipped by the birds