Mele a Hakuwale: Lyrics & Audio

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Lyrics

HE MOANA KE KAI

He moana ke kai a holo aku’ole
A ohe ka hulu ke ho’e heu
Ekalai i ka wa’a e hapai (ia) kaua
E hoe like no ku’u punua e

He wa’a no ho’i e holo i ka moana
Ua kaumaha i ke kai hohonu
Oi ka’u kaumaha ka mua o ka wa’a
Ua llana paha ua huli e

He nohea no a he maika’i wale
E mohala nei ka pua mae’ole
Ua ko’a ko’e no ka po hoa’ole
Ke lilo mai nei a nalowale no

E kalai i ka wa’a e hapai (ia) kaua
E hoe like no ku’u punua e

THE WATER IS WIDE

The water is wide I can’t cross over
And neither have I, wings to fly
Build me a boat that can carry two
And both shall row, my love and I

There is a ship and she sails the sea
She’s loaded deep, as deep can be
But not so deep as the love I’m in
I know not how I sink or swim

Oh love is handsome and love is fine
The sweetest flower, when first it’s new
But love grows old and waxes (waters) cold
And fades away, like summer dew  

Build me a boat, that can carry two,
and both shall row, my love and I.

AKAKA FALLS     (Helen Lindsey Parker)

Malihini ku'u 'ike 'ana
I kahi wailele 'o 'Akaka
Ka wai la i luna
Lele hunehune maila i na pali.

Ka'u nui aku kahi mana'o
E 'ike liki aku i ka nani
La uka ku pa'ua
I ke 'ala me ke onaona.

Ha'ina 'ia mai ka puana
I kahi wailele 'o 'Akaka
Ka wai la i luna
Lele hunehune maila i na pali.

I saw for the first time
The waterfall of 'Akaka
Waters placed there on high
Cascading in misty streams down the cliffs.

Thoughts are drawn there
To catch a glimpse of the beauty
That high land, so redolent
With fragrance and sweet scent.

Tell the story in the refrain
Of a waterfall, 'Akaka
Waters placed there on high
Cascading in misty streams down the cliffs.  

Also known as Ka Wailele 'O 'Akaka, this mele credited to Helen Lindsey Parker lauds the beauty of the 442-foot waterfall named after 'Akaka, who is said to have leapt  from its heights. His two lovers, Luhua and Maile, disguised as two smaller falls in a nearby ravine, cannot stop their crying.
 

Listen to these! Especially #1 and #8.

1. He Moana Ke Kai (Randy Lorenzo)--Translation of Water is Wide.  This one is for memorizing and using in whatever way seems best when we gather and try it together.

2. Kaulana Wailua A'o Moloka'i (Amy Gilliom)--This one is about the natural beauty of Moloka'i, ancestral home of Amy.

3. Hawai'i '78 (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)--beautiful poetic and political story of Hawaii.

4. I'm Going Home (Randy Lorenzo)--I love to hear this song when I am away from home. Takes me right to Hawaii. Randy is one of my favorite singers. He lived many years on the mainland working in the music business and finally came home to Hawai'i where he now lives.

5. Ke Aka O Ka Li'ula (Kaumakiwa Kanaka'ole)--This song is about mirage and trying to see life more clearly.

6. Mai kahiki Ka Wahine 'O Pele (Kaumakiwa Kanaka'ole)--Beautiful chanting voice of one of the Kanaka'ole family who are one of the primary tradition holders of Hawai'i island. His grandmother organized and codified the chants of the islands so that they survive in a coherent way. This chant is sung to Pele, the deity of the volcanoes. Oli (Chant)

7. 'Alika (Raiatea)--A beautiful example of the breath control of traditional singers from Hawai'i. Raiatea is from the Helms family of Moloka'i and is the next generation to move Hawaiian music forward in the world.

8. Akaka Falls (Nathan Aweau)-- Also known as Ka Wailele 'O 'Akaka, this mele credited to Helen Lindsey Parker lauds the beauty of the 442-foot waterfall named after 'Akaka, who is said to have leapt from its heights. His two lovers, Luhua and Maile, disguised as two smaller falls in a nearby ravine, cannot stop their crying.