I lawe ʻia mai no kuʻu lani
I wili ʻia me maile lau liʻi
I ʻohu i wehi no Kaʻiulani
Me he pūnohu ʻula lā i ke kai
Ka nohea nohea ke ʻike aku
I kuʻu wehi lani
E ola mau ʻo Kaʻiuonālani
Hui:
E kiʻi mai hoʻi e lei
E Kaʻiulani i ka ʻiu o luna
I ko lei lehua pua kea
I wili ʻia me maile laliʻi
Makamaka ka ʻōnohi o kāu kama
Kāhiko maila i ka pae ʻōpua
E hōʻike mai ana kuʻu lani
Ua mau lei lehua puakea nei
I haku ʻia me ke mikioi
Me ka hala o Naue i ke kai
Lauaʻe ʻaʻala o Makana
He makana nou no Kawaihau mai
Princess Kaiulani
Are brought for my princess
Entwined with strands of dainty maile
Adorned to beautify Kaʻiulani
As a rainbow over the sea
Is beautiful to see
So is my royal darling
Long may you live, Kaʻiulani
Chorus:
Come and wear your lei
O Kaʻiulani, Heavenly-one-above
Your lei of white lehua
Entwined with strands of dainty maile
The rainbow is bright for my child
It is an adornment over a cloudbank
It is revealing that my princess
Is wearing her lei of white lehua
Made so perfectly for her
With the hala of Naue beside the sea
And the fragrant lauaʻe fern of Makana
It is a gift for you from Kawaihau
Source: King's Hawaiian Melodies © 1916. 43 Charles E. King, 2nd verse from the Mary Pukui Collection - Composed for Princess Kaiulani. Mrs. Pukui explains that when a lei is given to an aliʻi, it was usually accompanied with a song or chant, also called a lei. The flower lei would wither, but the chant or song would live on as a reminder of the aliʻi. The lei was presented to the aliʻi but protocol would never allow the giver to put it on the aliʻi. The aliʻi might adorn herself or allow an attendant to place it around her neck. The attendant would never let her hand go over the head of the aliʻi. Translated by Mary Pukui