Liliʻuokalani (1838–1917), Queen of the Hawaiian Islands, was one of Hawaiʻi's most accomplished composers and musicians. She composed over 165 songs and chants. One of her most notable musical compositions is the popular song "Aloha ʻOe".
See main article: Aloha ʻOe. (Farewell to Thee), Liliʻuokalani's most famous work about two lovers bidding farewell.
See main article: He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi. (The Song of the Hawaiian Nation), was the third of Hawaiʻi's four national anthems. Liliʻuokalani wrote this song at the request of King Kamehameha V in 1866, well before she was queen.[1]
Nohea I Muʻolaulani, translated as Handsome One of Muʻolaulani [2] sometimes as Handsome at Muʻolaulani, and also referred to simply as Muʻolaulani, dates to May 1885. It was composed for Liliʻuokalani's new home in Kapālama named Mu'olaulani which was opened with a gala party in May 1885. The Kapālama house was a source of great joy to her and became the subject of this song. It is now the site of the Lili'uokalani Children's Center.[3] [4]
| He mea nui ke aloha | This great love of yours | |
| Ke hiki mai i oʻu nei | Has come here to me | |
| Meheʻo kuʻu lei kaimana ala | It is like my diamond necklace | |
| Kāhiko o kuʻu kino | To adorn my person | |
| Kuʻu lei popohe i ka laʻi | My lei so shapely in the calm | |
| Nohea i Muʻolaulani | Handsome at Muʻolaulani | |
| Ka beauty lā he mau ia | It is a beauty, always a thing forever | |
| No nā kau ā kau | For all seasons |
Ahe Lau Makani, translated as The Soft Gentle Breeze[5] or There is a Zephyr, is a famous waltz composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani around 1868. Probably written at Hamohamo, the Waikīkī home of the Queen, this song appeared in "He Buke Mele O Hawaii" under the title He ʻAla Nei E Māpu Mai Nei. Ahe Lau Makani is used only verse 1 and 2, and may be an abridged version. Līlīlehua refers to the name of the gentle rain in Palolo Valley, Oahu. Verse 1, 2 and the Chorus is translated by Liliʻuokalani, and Verse 3, 4 by Hui Hānai.[6]
Ahe Lau Makani was composed jointly with the Queen's sister Princess Likelike and Kapoli, a mysterious collaborator who, to this day, remains unidentified. The "Viennese-ness" of this waltz is especially evident in the hui, or chorus. Ahe Lau Makani describes a lover's sweet breath.[7] It poetically describes someone's yearning for a loved one. As Dennis says, "In the figurative Hawaiian, this breeze is actually the breath of one who I admire, carried by the wind. Whoever the Queen wrote about, she got right into that person and conveyed it through the whole song."[8]
| He ʻala nei e māpu mai nei | There is a breath so gently breathing | |
| Nā ka makani lau aheahe | So soft, so sweet, by sighing breezes | |
| I lawe mai i kuʻu nui kino | That as it touches my whole being | |
| Hoʻopumehana i kuʻu poli | It warms me in my heart | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| E ke hoa o ke Ahe lau makani | We, fair one, together, shall enjoy such moments | |
| Halihaliʻala o kuʻu ʻāina | While murmuring wind sweeps over my fatherland | |
| He ʻala nei e moani mai nei | There is a breath so soft and balmy | |
| Na ka ua noe Līlīlehua, | Brought by sweet zephyrs, Līlīlehua | |
| I lawe mai i kuʻu poli | And while wafted to my bosom | |
| Hoʻopumehana i ke aloha | It warms me with love | |
| He ʻala nei e puia mai nei | There is a fragrance that saturates | |
| Na ka makani anu kolonahe | A cool, soft breeze | |
| I lawe mai nā a pili | Brought it to cling to me | |
| Hoʻopumehana i ka manaʻo | Warming me with feelings | |
| He ʻala nei e aheahe mai nei | There is a fragrance wafted here | |
| Na ka leo hone a nā manu | The sweet call of birds | |
| I lawe mai a loaʻa au | Brought it to find me | |
| Hoʻopumehana i ko leo | Being warmed by your voice |
By And By, Hoʻi Mai ʻOe, translated as By and By Thou Wilt Return, is a famous song composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani.[9]
| Aia i Mauna Kilohana | There at Mount Kilohana | |
| O aʻu lehua ʻula i ka wao | My red lehua of the forest | |
| Na maka ʻohe kiʻi i ka wai | Sharp eyes fetch the water | |
| ʻAhaʻi ka ʻiʻini a ka manaʻo | And carry off the desire of the heart | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| By and by hoʻi mai ʻoe | By and by you will return | |
| E he ʻala hoene i ka poli | O fragrance that softly flutters my heart | |
| By and by hoʻi mai ʻoe | By and by you will return | |
| I ʻaneʻi kāua e laʻi ai | Here you and I will spend our days in rapture | |
| E ʻae ana paha wau i ka ualo | I shall perhaps yield to the urge | |
| I ka leo hea a ka pololei | To the calling voice of the land shell | |
| E hoʻi aku no wau e pili | E shall return to be close | |
| Me ka ua Kipuʻu o ka nahele | With the Kipuʻu rain of the forest | |
| Mehe ua noe ala ko aloha | Like a misty rain is your love | |
| E hana mau nei kuʻu nui kino | That thrills my whole being | |
| ʻO kou kai ia e makoi ai | It is the love which you tender | |
| Uʻi ʻaʻa ia pua i ka nani | That flower glows with beauty |
Ka ʻŌiwi Nani, translated as The Beautiful Native, is a love song composed and translated by Liliʻuokalani on June 23, 1886, at Palolo, Oʻahu.[10]
In The Queen's Songbook, editors Dorothy Kahananui Gillett and Barbara Barnard Smith note that it's not a surprise that this love song from 1886, when Lili‘uokalani was still a princess, comes from a time when her diaries "are strewn with references to a special 'friend', perhaps Henry Berger." Berger was the director of the Royal Hawaiian Band, and Gillett and Smith note the possibility "that the song celebrates a romantic liaison" with him. Even the title, which translates to "The Beautiful Form", or as the Queen herself translated it, Beautiful One, has possible romantic associations. It is one of the most compelling melodies of the Queen's songs, and I arranged it so the second verse is played in a relaxed 12/8 ballad style.[11]
| I ke ahiahi Pōʻakolu | It was on a Wednesday evening | |
| Kuʻu ʻike ʻana iho | That tidings came to me | |
| He ʻalele waha ʻole na ke aloha | A voiceless message from my loved one | |
| E ʻī mai ana iaʻu | And thus it said to me | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| E ʻī mai ana ʻī mai ana | And thus it said, thus it said to me | |
| Aia Keʻala i ka nahele | Keala has gone to the woodland | |
| Kahi i walea ai | And while on her downy bed of Palai | |
| I ka ʻolu o ia uka | She inhales the perfume of the flowers | |
| A he nani ʻiʻo nō ia pua | Bright and lovely indeed is that blossom | |
| Me he lāʻī pala ala ka memele | Likened to the lāʻī pala (yellow ti leaf) so fair | |
| Ka ʻōiwi nani o ke kā makahala | Or the beautiful form of the ka makahala | |
| Lamalama i ka uka o Lanihuli | That sheds radiance over all of Lanihuli |
Ka Hanu O Hanakeoki, translated as The Scent of Hanakeoki, or sometimes plainly called Hanakeoki, is a famous song composed by Liliʻuokalani in 1874. It a piece mentioned in "The Queen's Songbook" and translated into English by Hui Hānai. The song may allude to property the Queen owned in Pālolo Valley.[12]
| Nani wale ka hiʻona o ka manu lā | The features of the bird are so beautiful | |
| ʻO ka ʻiʻiwi maka onaona pōlena lā | The sweet-eyed ʻiʻiwi pōlena | |
| Noho i ka malu lāʻau lā | Dwelling in the shade of the forest | |
| Ulunahele pō i ka lehua lā | Forest overshadowed with lehua flowers | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| Ilihia wau i ke ʻala lā | I am overwhelmed with the fragrance | |
| O ka hanu o Hanakeoki lā | The scent of Hanakeoki | |
| Punihei ka manaʻo hoʻohihi lā | My thoughts are engulfed | |
| Hanu ʻaʻala o Hanakeoki | By the sweet scent of Hanakeoki | |
| Alia ʻoe e ka ʻamakihi lā | Wait ʻamakihi | |
| Manu puapua lenalena lā | Yellow-tailed bird | |
| E ālai nei i ka wai lā | Obstructing the water | |
| Wai hālukuluku i ka pali lā | Water rushing noisily upon the cliff | |
| E inu aku wau i kena lā | I want to drink the water to quench my thirst | |
| I ka wai lehua a ka manu lā | On the bird's lehua nectar | |
| Hō iho kāua ʻeloʻelo lā | Let's you and I indulge and be drenched | |
| A hoʻi a e hoʻolaʻilaʻi lā | Then return to find contentment |
Kuʻu Pua I Paoakalani, often referred to simply as Paoakalani, is a famous song composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani while imprisoned in ʻIolani Palace. It is about her garden in Paoaokalani, from which a loyal haole supporter, John Wilson (whose mother, Evelyn T. Wilson, went into voluntary imprisonment with the Queen) regularly brought her flowers. These flowers were wrapped in newspaper, through which means she was able to read the news that was prohibited to her during her imprisonment. The song is a tribute to this young man, whom she held in very high esteem.[13]
Performance of the song is known to be vocally challenging in terms of range, timing, power, and breath control. One of the most famous recorded renditions was made by activist/singer George Helm on the first live album that was released after his death in the Kahoʻolawe struggle.
| E ka gentle breeze e pā mai nei | O gentle breeze that waft to me | |
| Hoʻohāliʻaliʻa mai ana iaʻu | Sweet, cherished memories of you | |
| E kuʻu sweet never fading flower | Of my sweet never fading flower | |
| I bloom i ka uka ‘o Paoakalani | That blooms in the fields of Paoakalani | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| ʻIke mau i ka nani o nā pua | I've often seen those beauteous flowers | |
| O ka uka o Uluhaimalama | That grew at Uluhaimalama | |
| ʻAʻole naʻe hoʻi e like | But none of those could be compared, | |
| Me kuʻu pua i ka laʻi o | To my flower that blooms in the fields of | |
| Paoakalani | Paoakalani | |
| Lahilahi kona ma hiʻona | Her face is fair to behold | |
| With softest eyes as black as jet | With softest eyes as black as jet | |
| Pink cheeks so delicate of hue | Pink cheeks so delicate of hue | |
| I ulu i ka uka o Paoakalani | That grew in the fields of Paoakalani | |
| Nane ʻia mai ana kuʻu aloha | Now name to me the one I love | |
| E ka gentle breeze e waft mai nei | Gentle breezes passing by | |
| O come to me kaʻu mea e liʻa nei | And bring to me that blossom fair | |
| I ulu ika uka o Paoakalani | That blooms in the fields of Paoakalani |
Manu Kapalulu, translated to Quail, is one of the numerous songs and chants composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani. Composed in November 1878, this was an admonishment from Liliʻuokalani to a disparaging remark. According to Hawaiian traditions lessons in life and morality were usually taught in music and riddles. Manu Kapalulu was about the Queen's annoyance with someone.[14]
This song has many allusion to Hawaiian mythology. The Kilohana in verse 1, stanza 2 is in Kalihi Valley on O'ahu and was the sacred home of Haumea and Wakea. Verse 2, stanzas 3 and 4 is an allusion to the old Hawaiian religion. Although Liliʻuokalani embraced Christianity, she was very familiar with the practice of worshipping and feeding na aumakua (family gods). Kapo, the dark sorceress in verse 3, stanza 4, is Kapoʻulaʻkīnaʻu, the dual-natured goddess, daughter of Haumea and Wakea, and sister of Pele and Kamohoaliʻi. Her benevolent nature was Laka, the goddess of hula. This song also served as a mele inoa (name song) for Princess Kaʻiulani[15]
| Noho nani iluna ke ao ʻōpua | Beauty dwells on a rain cloud | |
| Kapu ʻihi kapu i Kilohana | Sacred at Kilohana | |
| Haiamū ihola ka lehua | The lehua trees is surrounded by | |
| I nā manu | The birds | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| Kulikuli au iā ʻoe manu kapalulu | Be quiet, you quail | |
| Hana wale mai nō iaʻu | Who nags me | |
| He aha hoʻi ʻoe i koʻu manaʻo | You are nothing, in my opinion | |
| ʻAe nō hoʻi | Yes, indeed | |
| ʻŌlelo ana ʻoe i ko haʻi keʻe | You talk of the faults of others | |
| Eia iho nō me ʻoe | Yet there is | |
| Nā ʻaumakua peʻe i ka poli | An aumakua hiding in your bosom | |
| I aʻo lūʻau ʻia | That is fed sacrifices | |
| Kiʻina kahuna i Hawaiʻi | The darkness of Hawaiʻi is consulted | |
| Kūkulu nā haʻilona | Signs and omens are sought | |
| Kuhikuhi ke ola iā Kapo | Kapo is honored | |
| ʻO ia nō hoʻi | This is so, indeed | |
| Noho iho nā ʻoe ʻae pono iho | Stay and enjoy what you have | |
| I kou pōmaikaʻi nui | Your great blessing | |
| ʻIke ʻia ai he ulakolako | Your prosperity be known | |
| ʻO ia nō hoʻi | This is so, indeed |
Nani Nā Pua Koʻolau, translated as The Flower of Koʻolau or Beautiful Are the Flowers of Koʻolau is a song composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani. Written in 1860, this was one of Liliʻuokalani's first published works or probably the first; it was published in 1869 both in Hawaiian and English, one of her first works to appear in print. It was signed L.K. (Lydia Kamakaʻeha) Pākī, the name she used until her marriage in 1862 to John Owen Dominis. The English translation is by Liliʻuokalani herself.[16] [17]
This song demonstrates her poetic skills in which romantic love, love of nature and love of the land are happily entwined. This setting was written for the popular Pacific Rim Choral Festival which takes place in Hawaiʻi each summer.[18]
| Nani nā pua Koʻolau | The flowers of Koʻolau in their beauty | |
| I memele i ka uka | Fill the vale, fill with golden gleam | |
| Ka uka o Kuihanalei | I cull and wreathe them for my loved one | |
| I lei mau no ke aloha | At morn and night she fills my waking dream | |
| ʻAuhea wale ana ʻoe | Where are you, fairest of all fair ones | |
| E ka pua o ka lokelani | Where are you sweetest of all sweets | |
| ʻO ka ʻoi aku nō ʻoe | You are a flower of Paradise | |
| Ma mua o ka nae ʻala | That the morning breeze ever kindly greets | |
| Mahalo au ʻo ka nani | I praise your beauty, my fair one | |
| Nā lehua o Līhau | You are the flower of all flowers to me | |
| He ʻala kūpaoa | The lehua flower whose ardent sweetness | |
| Anuanu o ka nahele | Overpowers the wanderer over the lea | |
| I wili ʻia me ka maile | And I cry "where are you, my loved one" | |
| Lauliʻi o Koʻiahi | My spirit wants to be with you | |
| ʻAuhea lā ia pua | To taste hours of tranquil pleasure | |
| ʻAkipohe o Halealoha | And wander neath Koiahi's tree | |
| Ua ola nā kaua | The trilling notes of hidden songsters | |
| I ka wai huna a ka manu | As they sport around the jasmine bower | |
| He ʻala pua pīkake | The scent yet in my memory lingers | |
| Huli au a hoʻomaʻū | Reminds me of you, the fairest flowers | |
| ʻAuhea wale ana ʻoe | Of Viliau, the sweetest blossom | |
| E ka pua ʻo ka Viliau | Without you, my life is lonely | |
| Hoʻi mai nō kāua | Come fill my hours with bliss, I pray thee | |
| E pili me ke aloha | My flower, my bird, my chief and chosen one |
Ka Wiliwili Wai, sometimes plainly called Wiliwiliwai, translated to The Lawn Sprinkler or The Twisting of the Water, is a famous song composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani who wrote the words and the music. The story behind the song goes: As the Queen was sitting on her lanai at Washington Place, she saw something unusual next door in her neighbor, Dr. McKibben's yard, a lawn sprinkler going round and round. Fascinated, the Queen watched for a long time spinning this tune to its rhythm.[19]
| E ka wiliwiliwai | O lawn sprinkler | |
| Koʻiawe i ka laʻi | Circling quietly | |
| A heaha kau hana | What are you doing | |
| E naue mālie nei | As you silently revolve? | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| Ei nei, ei nei | Say there, say there | |
| ʻE poahi mai nei | You revolving object | |
| Ahea, ahea | When, oh when | |
| ʻOe kaohi mai | Will you slow down | |
| O kīpau o ia la | Unusually active | |
| Ua nihinihi | Sending out sprays like rain | |
| Kuʻu iki iho hoʻi | Lessen your speed | |
| I inu aku au | That I may drink |
Pauahi ʻO Kalani, translated as Pauahi, The Royal One, was composed by Liliʻuokalani in 1868. It honors Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the great-granddaughter of Kamehameha I and Liliʻuokalani's beloved foster sister. It was written in 1868 prior to the accession of Liliʻuokalani's family. They were on a trip to the island of Hawaiʻi and had visited Puna and the Panaʻewa forest in the Hilo district. Liliʻuokalani wrote this song at Mānā. The Bishop Estate, Pauahi's continuing legacy, created and maintains the Kamehameha Schools. High school students at Kamehameha sing this song every year on Founder's Day, 19 December, the date of Pauahi's birth.[20] The song was translated by Mary Kawena Pukui.[21]
| Noho ana ka wahine i ke anu o Mānā | The woman dwells in the cold of Mānā | |
| Mahalo i ka nani nohea o ka nahele | Admiring the lovely beauty of the forest | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| E ola ʻo Kalani e Pauahi lani nui | Long live, Pauahi, the heavenly one | |
| A kau i ka pua ʻaneʻane | To extreme old age | |
| E ola ʻo Kalani e Pauahi lani nui | Long live, Pauahi, the heavenly one | |
| E ola loa nō a kau i ka wēkiu | Live until she reaches the highest place | |
| Ua ʻike i na paia ʻaʻala hoʻi o Puna | She has seen the fragrant bowers of Puna | |
| Ua lei na maile aʻo Panaʻewa hoʻi | And has worn leis of maile of Panaʻewa | |
| Hoʻi ana no naʻe ke aloha i na kini | But her love returns to multitudes | |
| I ke one hānau i ka home i ke kaona | Of her birthplace, the home in the town |
Liliʻuokalani composed Pelekane, translated as England or Britain, in 1887 after she and Queen Kapiʻolani went to England for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. On this occasion, Queen Kapiʻolani wore a parure of catseye shells and a gown embroidered with blue peacock feathers. In the second verse, Liliʻuokalani describes the British Queen-Empress as the topmost blossom.[22]
| Nani wale hoʻi kuʻu ʻike ana | It was wonderful to see | |
| Kēlā ʻāina kamahaʻo | That marvelous country | |
| ʻĀina kaulana i ka nani | Land famed for its beauty | |
| Ka ikaika me ka hanohano | Its strength and majesty | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| I laila kuʻu ʻupu kuʻu liʻa | Fond recollections and admiration | |
| Ka manaʻo nui e waiho aʻe nei | Remains ever with me | |
| O ka ʻike lihi aku iā Pelekane | I have caught a glimpse of England | |
| A he nani ia ʻae ua hiki nō | Tales of its beauty are indeed true | |
| Kuko no loko a hoʻokō | My desire to see was fulfilled | |
| E ʻike i ka pua i ka wēkiu | I have seen the topmost blossom | |
| Honi ka makani o laila | I have inhaled the air there | |
| I ka hane welelau i kuʻu papālina | And felt the breeze brush my cheek |
Another song of the same title, written by Elizabeth Kuahaia, is a song about the innocence lost in globalization/modernization. It is about the sinking of the ship, the, in 1915. It was an event that helped create the concept of a "World War."
Pelekane means "Britain" and reveals the long-standing affinity that the Native Hawaiian people felt for England. It was the British that the Hawaiian Kingdom attempted to emulate and identify with – so much so that the royal contingent traveled to England to attend Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 and adopted the "Union Jack" symbol in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi flag. This song may refer to England owning the Lusitania.
Unlike most other Native Hawaiian songs, it is written without the beautiful imagery of nature. Instead, it describes the use of explosives and torpedoes. This is warfare without warriors in hand-to-hand combat, with the concept of "civilians" redefined by wholesale destruction of places. In a way, this is a modern protest song is in the style of Kaulana Nā Pua. This piece foreshadows the militarization of Hawaiʻi as the Western outpost for United States military forces. This militarization of the islands is an important aspect of Native Hawaiian experience. Not only are many areas reserved by the military, but the island economy is dependent upon it.[23]
| Hakakā kaulana puni i ke ao lā | Famous conflict throughout the world | |
| Ke kaua weliweli ma Eulopa | The terrible war in Europe | |
| Ma ka nūpepa i haʻi maila lā | In the newspapers it said | |
| ʻO ka topeto kau i ka beli | The torpedo struck the belly (of the ship) | |
| Weliweli nā hana ke ʻike aku lā | Dreadful deeds, horrible to look upon | |
| ʻO nei lima koko he aloha ʻole | Merciless bloody hands | |
| Haʻina ʻia mai ʻana ka puana lā | Let the story be told | |
| Ke kaua weliweli ma Eulopa | Of the terrible war in Europe |
Puna Paia ʻAʻala, translated to Puna's Fragrant Bowers, and other translation include Puna's Fragrant Glades[25] and Puna's Sweet Walls.[26] It is famous love song composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani in July 1868, who composed a total of 165 pieces in her life. The setting is the Puna District on the Island of Hawaiʻi, which was renowned for its groves of fragrant hala (Pandanus tectorius). The first two verses were published in He Buke Mele Hawaiʻi and the third verse is from a Bishop Museum manuscript. The fourth verse was preserved by Bill Kaiwa. Verse 1, 2, and hui translated by Liliʻuokalani. Verses 3 and 4 translated by Hui Hānai.[27]
Along with Ahe Lau Makani and Paia Ka Nahele, composed in the same year, these two waltzes are especially evident in the hui, or chorus, of Puna Paia Aʻala. These three songs that took the form as waltzes, were a fresh departure for Liliʻuokalani. Their lyrics are full of romance, and the rhythmic buoyancy and grace of the music place them among her most memorable melodies.
| Iā Puna paia ʻaʻala | Puna's bowery walls of fragrance are | |
| Pili mau na ke ona ona | Groves laden with sweet flowers | |
| I laila ke kāunu ana | There is where my heart yearns to be | |
| Kau pono ana na ka manaʻo | To dwell there is my sincere desire | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| Puna paia ʻaʻala | Puna's shaded bowery walls | |
| Kilihea i ke onaona | Pleasant and redolent with perfume | |
| Ona wela i ke aloha | Sweet language, full of love | |
| Ua lawa iā ʻoe me aʻu | Binding you to me, forever | |
| Hoʻohihi i ka nani | I long to see you | |
| Pua mai a ka lehua | Flower of the lehua | |
| Ānehe au e kiʻi | Let me take you and pluck you | |
| I pua kau no kuʻu umauma | And press you close to me | |
| ʻO ka ʻike keia | Now that I know | |
| ʻO wau nō kou hoa like | That you and I are alike | |
| Pelā iho hoʻi kāua | Let us wait a while | |
| Ke ano laʻi mai nei ka ʻōpua | As the cloud bank reposes in serenity | |
| Hai lohi ka manaʻo | The thought is slow to conjure | |
| Loliʻi nā pua i ka ʻiu | As the blossoms above repose | |
| Kali ana hoʻlono i ka leo | Awaiting, listening for the voice | |
| A hea mai e hoʻokomo wau | To call one to come in |
Sanoe, is a famous song composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani who wrote the words and the music. "Sanoe" is the Hawaiian word meaning – the mist that drifts over our mountains – and alludes to the man drifting in like the mist to see his ipo (sweetheart).[28] It is in the Queen's Song Book and also in He Mele Aloha.[29] Liliʻuokalani composed this while still a princess in the court of her brother King David Kalākaua. The song describes a possibly clandestine love affair[30] or romance in the royal court. This version is based on Robert Cazimero's choral arrangement for the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest. Steve composed the interlude between the second and third verses for this recording. Queen Liliʻuokalani originally wrote Sanoe in common time, though today it is almost always performed in triple meter. Where and how this change occurred is a mystery.
This affair in the royal court is centered on Sanoe, a love affair of two members of the royal family that were in love but promised marriage to other people, Princess Likelike and Colonel Curtis Piehu Iaukea.[31] Kapeka was the joint composer to this song. Queen Lili‘uokalani indicates she composed Sanoe with "Kapeka", her friend whose real name was Elizabeth Sumner Achuck.[32]
Sanoe was brought back into general circulation by ʻukulele master Eddie Kamae and Gabby with the Sons of Hawaiʻi on "MUSIC OF OLD HAWAIʻI".[33]
| ʻAuhea ʻoe e Sanoe | Where can you be, Sanoe? | |
| Hoʻopulu liko ka lehua | Moistened by the lehua buds | |
| Eia hoʻi au | Here I am | |
| Ke kali nei i ko leo | Waiting to hear your voice | |
| ʻO ka pane wale mai no | For the answer only you can give | |
| ʻOlu wau mehe wai ʻala | Refreshing with a sweet fragrance | |
| Honehone me he ipo ala | Appealing softly as a sweetheart | |
| Paila i ka nui kino | Stirring the whole body | |
| E kala neia kino | It's been a while since this body | |
| I piliwi ai i laila | Believed all that was there | |
| E ko ai o ka manaʻo | How is it possible | |
| Pehea e hiki ai | To fulfill thoughts of love? | |
| Ke hea mai nei water lily | The water lily warns us | |
| Ke ao mai ʻoe ia kaua | Be careful | |
| Eia aʻe no o pelo | Here comes the carrier of tales | |
| Manu ʻahaʻi ʻōlelo | The bird who gossips | |
| Lohe aku nei na kuhina nui | The titled persons have heard | |
| A he ʻahahui ko Loma | Of a gathering in Rome | |
| Ke ʻoni aʻe la iluna | Moving now upward | |
| E like me Likelike | Like the Princess Likelike |
The Queen's Jubilee is a famous song composed by Princess Liliʻuokalani of Hawaiʻi to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, which Princess Liliʻuokalani attended with a royal contingent from Hawaiʻi.[34]
| Mahalo piha, Mōʻī ʻo ʻEnelani | All hail to you, Great Queen of England | |
| Kuʻi kou kaulana nā ʻāina pau | Fair Queen who rules over land and sea | |
| Na kai ākau nā one hema | From northern seas to southern shores | |
| ʻIkea kou ʻihi mana nui | Your way is known both far and near | |
| Eia mākou i kou kapa kai | We come to your shores, gracious lady | |
| ʻI kou lā nui Iubilī | On this great day of your Jubilee | |
| I hiʻi mai i kou mākou aloha | To bring kind greetings from afar | |
| Maluna ou ka malu o ka Lani | May heaven bless you, long may you reign. | |
| Hauʻoliʻoli ʻEmepela o ʻInia | All hail, all hail, Empress of India | |
| I kēia makahiki Iubili | In this your year of Jubilee | |
| ʻĀkoakoa nā aliʻi ʻaimoku | Now kings, queens and princes great | |
| A puni ke ao holoʻokoʻa | Have all assembled here today | |
| E hiʻilani e mililani | To pay due homage and reverent love | |
| Ua hui pūʻia me Hawaiʻi | Hawaiʻi joins with loyal fervour | |
| E uhi mai ka lani i kona nani | May Heaven smile on you | |
| E ola ka mōʻī ke Akua | God bless the Queen, long may she live |
The Queen's Prayer, or in Hawaiian Ke Aloha O Ka Haku. It was published as Liliʻuokalani's Prayer, with the Hawaiian title and English translation ("The Lord's Mercy") now commonly called "The Queen's Prayer".[35] It is a famous mele, composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani, March 22, 1895, while she was under house arrest at ʻIolani Palace. This hymn was dedicated to Victoria Kaʻiulani, her niece and heir apparent to the throne.[36]
Queen Liliʻuokalani wrote this at the bottom of the manuscript: "Composed during my imprisonment at ʻIolani Palace by the Missionary party who overthrew my government." She was referring to the illegal Overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy by U.S. business interests backed by the U.S. government.[37]
| ʻO kou aloha nō | Your loving mercy | |
| Aia i ka lani | Is as high as Heaven | |
| A ʻo Kou ʻoia ʻiʻo | And your truth | |
| He hemolele hoʻi | So perfect | |
| Koʻu noho mihi ʻana | I live in sorrow | |
| A paʻahao ʻia | Imprisoned | |
| ʻO ʻoe kuʻu lama | You are my light | |
| Kou nani koʻu koʻo | Your glory, my support | |
| Mai nānā ʻinoʻino | Behold not with malevolence | |
| Nā hewa o kānaka | The sins of man | |
| Akā e huikala | But forgive | |
| A maʻemaʻe nō | And cleanse | |
| No laila e ka Haku | And so, o Lord | |
| Ma lalo o kou ʻēheu | Protect us beneath your wings | |
| Kō mākou maluhia | And let peace be our portion | |
| A mau loa aku nō | Now and forever more | |
| Āmene | Amen |
Tūtū, translated as Granny, is a famous mele hula composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani. Mentioned in the song is Kaʻalaʻalaʻa, which refers to the area of lower Nuʻuanu below Maʻemaʻe Hill. This hula was composed for a benefit program at Kaumakapili Church in Palama. Maria Heleluhe danced the part of the tūtū (granny) and 7 little girls performed as the grandchildren. The Queen taught the girls to sing the song with her and she accompanied them on her guitar. The song received 5 encores and the performers were showered with money.[38]
| Aia i Kaʻalaʻalaʻa | There lived at Kaʻalaʻalaʻa | |
| Kuʻu wahi kupuna wahine | My aged, dear old grandmother | |
| Ua nui kona mau lā | Her days were full of numbers | |
| ʻO ka noho ʻana i ke ao nei | That she lived in this world of care | |
| Kana hana i ke kakahiaka | Her first duty in the morning | |
| ʻO ka wehe i ka Paipala nui | Was to turn to the great Bible | |
| Kiʻi akula i nā makaaniani | Then searching for her glasses | |
| A penei e kau ai | She'd place them on her nose | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| E aloha kākou iā ia | Now we must all show her reverence | |
| E mālama kākou iā tūtū | We must all love our dear Tūtū | |
| E hoʻano kākou iā ia | We must do all to honor her | |
| Ko kākou kupuna wahine | Our dear Grandma Tūtū | |
| A kau mai e ke ahiahi | As the hour of eve drew near | |
| Hoʻomākaukau e pule | She'd prepare for eve's devotion | |
| Kiʻi akula i nā makaaniani | And now seeks her glasses | |
| Auwe! Ua nalowale | But lo, they are not there | |
| Aia i kā lae | She had placed them on her forehead | |
| I ka lae kahi kau ai | High up above her brow | |
| Ua poina loa ʻia | And there she soon forgot them | |
| I luna i ka lae | High up above her forehead |