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E Ku‘u Lei . . . E Ka Makua
Jeremy K. Hopkins
‘Auhea wale ‘oe e ku‘u lei
Ka‘u i hi‘ialo ai
‘Auhea wale ‘oe e ku‘u lei
Ka‘u mea lani i aloha ‘ia
E ku‘u lei, e ku‘u lei
Ka‘u i hānai ai
E ku‘u lei, e ku‘u lei
E ō mai i ka leo heahea
E ō e ka makua, ka makua aloha ē
Nāu nō i hi‘ialo mai
E ō e ka makua, ka makua aloha ē
Iā ‘oe nō e pili mau ai
E ka makua, e ka makua
E pa‘a mau i ka poli
E ka makua, e ka makua
E pane au i ka leo heahea
Listen my child
The one whom I carried
Listen my child
My beloved from Heaven
My child, my child
Whom I raised
My child, my child
Answer my call
Here Father, loving Father
You indeed carried me
Here Father, loving Father
I will always be close to you
Father, Father
You will always be here in my bosom
Father, Father
I will answer your call
photo credit: Forest & Kim Starr
He hi‘ialo ua milimili ‘ia i ke alo, ua hā‘awe ‘ia ma ke kua, ua lei ‘ia ma ka ‘ā‘ī. (A beloved one, fondled in the arms, carried on the back, whose arms have gone about the neck as a lei. Said of a beloved child – ‘Ōlelo No‘eau 575.)