Lei Lehua O Panaʻewa - Words & music by Charles E. King

ʻO ʻoe no ia e kuʻu lei lehua
Ke ʻala onaona o Panaʻewa

Ua kohu no ʻoe me ka nani mae ʻole
I lei hoʻohie no Hilo Bay

ʻO ʻoe no ia e maile lauliʻi
Ke ʻala onaona o Hanakāhi

Hoʻokahi no liʻa e hoʻi e ʻike
E pili me iala me mahina laʻilaʻi

Ua liʻa no au e ʻike ia ʻoe
I ka wai lehua a ka manu

I ka ua kilihune noenoe i ka lehua
E wehi aʻe la i kuʻu home

Hoʻi mai ke aloha me kuʻu lei lehua
E lei i ke one o Punahoa

He hoa no ʻoe i ka wai kilihune
I ka wai huʻihuʻi o Hilo Bay

Me ʻoe ke aloha e ka nani mae ʻole
Ke ʻala onaona o Hanakāhi

ʻAkahi ke aloha ua hiki mai
E pili ka lehua o kuʻu home

Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
Kuʻu lei lehua o Panaʻewa

 The one that I adore is my lei lehua
Endowed with lovely fragrance in Panaʻewa

Yours is a lovely and fadeless beauty
A lei to be worn with pride at Hilo Bay

It is you, o fine-leaved maile
That is the soft fragrance of Hanakāhi

One thing I long for, to return, to see
And be with her and the bright moon

I have longed to see you
And the honey of the lehua of which birds are fond

The light rain, the mist among the lehua
Are the adornments of my home

Love returns with my lehua lei
A lei to be worn on the sands of Punahoa

You are my companion in the fine rain
In the cold rain of Hilo Bay

With you is love, o fadeless beauty
The soft fragrance of Hanākahi

Love has come at last
To be with the lehua of my home

This is the end of my song
Of my lehua lei of Panaʻewa
Source: King's Songs of Hawaiʻi - The lyrics may not have been written by King. Verse 1, translation from King's Songs of Hawaiʻi. Verse 2 - 11 translated by Mary Pukui. © 1916, 1942 Charles E. King