Song of Maui - Words & music by Scott Hai

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Maui of Kama he kama ʻiʻo no
He Kama a he lei he lei hoʻohie
He lei ʻiʻo no, no Hawaiʻi nei
Me ka moana Pakipika

Hawaiʻi o Keawe lei ana i ka lehua
Molokaʻi o Hina ohuohu i ke kukui
Eia ko lia a he hiwahiwa hoʻi
Ua ohu i ka lei lokelani

Oʻahu o Kakuhihewa lei ana i ka ʻilima
Wai hoʻohewahewa ʻia Maui o Kama
Kauaʻi o Mano wehiwehi i ka mokihana
Ka lehulehu o nā moku puni


Maui of Kama (lalawalu) the heart of Kama
Yes, the beloved of Kama, truly cherished
Beloved sweetheart of Hawaiʻi
And the Pacific ocean

Hawaiʻi of (Moku o) Keawe bedecked with lei of lehua
Molokaʻi of Hina adorned with kukui
Gentle, beloved sweetheart, return here
The rose lei of adornment

Oʻahu of Kakuhihewa bedecked with lei of ʻilima
The value of Maui of Kama was not appreciated
Kauaʻi of Mano (kalanipō) decorated with mokihana
The people of the islands


Source: G. Cooke collection - Kama, short for Kamalalawalu, was a chief who ruled during Maui's golden age. He failed in an attempt to capture the island of Hawai`i. Scott Hai, the composer, gave this handwritten manuscript to George Cooke Sr, around 1942, when they were in Waiheʻe, Maui. Sometimes, this mele is incorrectly called Maui O Kama, which is the first stanza. Many mele are known by their first stanzas rather than by their correct title, a frequent practice among musicians and dancers. Translated by Kaiu Kanoa