Queen Lili’uokalani, the last monarch of Hawai’i, was a skilled musician. Even from a young age she was known to be a remarkable singer. During her lifetime she composed more than 150 songs. The songs of Queen Lili’uokalani became lasting hallmarks of Hawai’ian identity for generations to come.

“Ku’u Pua I Paoakalani,” for instance, was written when she was imprisoned under house arrest by a United States militia. It was a reference to a political uprising to reclaim Hawai’i.

We have many songs of Queen Lili’uokalani’s at Ukulele Corner Academy, but we’ll look at two examples below. Both include performances of solo arrangements by Jeff Peterson.

Aloha ‘Oe

Of all of her songs, however, Queen Lili’uokalani is most well known for “Aloha ‘Oe.” This is a song about a farewell embrace and became a cultural icon for Hawai’i.

Lyrics

Haʻaheo e ka ua i nā pali

Ke nihi aʻela i ka nahele

E hahai (uhai) ana paha i ka liko

Pua ʻāhihi lehua o uka

Hui:

Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe

E ke onaona noho i ka lipo

One fond embrace,

A hoʻi aʻe au

Until we meet again

ʻO ka haliʻa aloha i hiki mai

Ke hone aʻe nei i

Kuʻu manawa

ʻO ʻoe nō kuʻu ipo aloha

A loko e hana nei

Tomago:

Maopopo kuʻu ʻike i ka nani

Nā pua rose o Maunawili

I laila hiaʻai nā manu

Mikiʻala i ka nani o ka liko

Proudly swept the rain by the cliffs

As it glided through the trees

Still following ever the bud

The ʻāhihi lehua of the vale

Chorus:

Farewell to thee, farewell to thee

The charming one who dwells in the shaded bowers

One fond embrace,

Ere I depart

Until we meet again

Sweet memories come back to me

Bringing fresh remembrances

Of the past

Dearest one, yes, you are mine own

From you, true love shall never depart

Refrain:

I have seen and watched your loveliness

The sweet rose of Maunawili

And ’tis there the birds of love dwell

And sip the honey from your lips

‘O Makalapua

The lyrics for ‘O Makalapua were originally written by Konia, who adopted and raised Lili’uokalani, and then later Queen Lili’uokalani set the lyrics to music based on a hymn in 1897.

ʻO Makalapua ulumāhiehie

ʻO ka lei o Kamakaʻeha

No Kamakaʻeha ka lei na Liʻawahine

Nā wāhine kīhene pua 

Hui:

E lei hoʻi, e Liliʻulani ē

E lei hoʻi, e Liliʻulani ē

Haʻihaʻi pua kamani pauku pua kīkī

I lei hoʻowehiwehi no ka wahine

E walea ai ka waokele

I ka liko i Maunahele

Lei Kaʻala i ka ua o ka Nāulu

Hoʻoluʻe ihola i lalo o Haleʻauʻau

Ka ua lei koko ʻula i ke pili

I pilia ka mauʻu nēnē me ke kupukupu

Lei akula i ka hala o Kekele

Nā hala moe ipo o Malailua

Ua māewa wale i ke oho o ke kāwelu

Nā lei kāmakahala o ka ua Waʻahila

The sweetest and most fragrant flowers of the garden

For the lei of Kamaka’eha

The goddesses of the forest weave a lei for Kamaka’eha

The ladies with baskets of flowers

Chorus:

Here is your lei, o Lili’ulani

Here is your lei, o Lili’ulani

Kamani leaves entwined with ti flowers

A lei to beautify the fair Lili’u

One who loves the beauteous and fragrant uplands

Where bud the flowers at Maunahele

Pouring down on Hale’au’au

Rainbow mist that is a lei on pili grass

Where nēnē grass grows close to kukukupu ferns

Wearing a lei of hala fruit of Kekele

Hala of Malailua that lovers dream of

Swaying freely amid kāwelu grasses

Kamakahala flower leis of Wa’ahila rain