He aha ka waiwai o ke mele ‘Hawai‘i Pono‘ī’?
Synopsis: Hawai‘i Pono‘ī has been the state song since 1967 but has been around longer. King David Kalākaua wrote the lyrics to the melody and it was first sung by the Kawaiaha‘o Church Choir on Nov. 16, 1874, on Kalākaua’s birthday. What most people don’t know is that there are originally three full verses in the song. However, at the University of Hawai‘i games, only the first verse and a repeated chorus are sung. How important is it to know and sing the full song of Hawai‘i?
Ua kapa mua ‘ia kēia mele ‘o “Hymn to Kamehameha”. He kohu mele Prussia ke lohe aku i ke ea. ‘O ia ho‘i ke ea o ke mele “God Save the King” i lohe ‘ia e Henry Berger. Mai Prussia mai ‘o Henry Berger i ka MH 1872, a lilo ‘o ia ‘o ia ke alaka‘i o ka Royal Hawaiian Band i ia wā. Haku ‘ia nā hua‘ōlelo o ke mele “Hawai‘i Pono‘ī” e ka Mō‘ī Kalākaua i ka MH 1874 a ho‘opili aku i ke ea o “God Save the King”.
Hīmeni ‘ia kēia mele ma mua o ka ho‘omaka ‘ana o nā pā‘ani like ‘ole ma Hawai‘i. Akā na‘e, ‘a‘ole hīmeni ‘ia nā paukū a pau. He mea nui ka hīmeni piha ‘ana i kēia mele ma muli o kona wehewehe ‘ana i ke kuleana o nā po‘e Hawai‘i, ‘o ia ho‘i, ua kuhikuhi ‘ia ke kūlana o ka mō‘ī, kekahi mau ali‘i, a me nā maka‘āinana nō ho‘i. He mea nui ka ho‘omana‘o ‘ana i ko kākou ali‘i. Eia i lalo nei ke mele holo‘oko‘a:
Paukū 1: Hawai‘i pono‘ī
Nānā i kou mō‘ī
Ka lani ali‘i
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Ke ali‘i
Hui: Makua lani e
Kamehameha e
Na kāua e pale
Me ka ihe
Paukū 2: Hawai‘i pono‘ī
Nānā i nā ali‘i
Nā pua muli kou
Nā pōki‘i
Paukū 3: Hawai‘i pono‘ī
E ka lāhui e
‘O kāu hana nui
E ui e
I kēlā me kēia kakahiaka, ma mua o ke komo ‘ana i ka papa ma ke Kula Kaiāpuni ‘o Pū‘ōhala, oli mai nā keiki i ke oli kāhea, a laila, hīmeni lākou i nā hua‘ōlelo o ke mele ‘o Hāwai‘i Pono‘ī. Ma o kēia hana e a‘o ai nā keiki i ka waiwai o kēia mele. Inā hiki i kekahi keiki ke hīmeni i ke mele holo‘oko‘a, a laila, hiki nō iā kākou a pau ke hana pēlā. Ma ke Kula Nui o Hawai‘i ma Mānoa, he pilikia kēia, no ka mea, ‘a‘ole piha ka hīmeni ‘ana, a hīmeni nā kānaka a pau i kēia mele ma hope o ke mele aupuni o ‘Amelika. Aloha nō kā ho‘i kākou, na kupa ‘ike ‘ole i ko kākou mele ‘āina pono‘ī.
Aia kekahi ‘ōlelo no‘eau, “I ka ‘ōlelo no ke ola, i ka ‘ōlelo no ka make.” Inā ‘a‘ole kākou e hīmeni i ko kākou mele moku‘āina me ka piha pono o nā paukū a pau, e nalo ka mana‘o nui a e nalo pū me ke kumu e ha‘aheo ai kākou i ko kākou ‘āina a me ko kākou mo‘olelo. No laila, e ho‘opa‘a kākou i nā paukū a pau i mau ai ke mele o ka ‘āina i ka pono. A ma o ia mele lā e mau ai ke ea o ka ‘āina i ka pono! Mahalo nō ho‘i nā keiki pa‘a mele o kēia wā. Ma o lākou lā nō e ola ai ka mana‘o o ia mele i ka wā e hiki mai ana.
———
E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
>> 956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
3 responses to “He aha ka waiwai o ke mele ‘Hawai‘i Pono‘ī’?”
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Yes, Hawai’i Pono’i has three verses. The writers of this essay wish all three verses would be sung at UH events. But guess what. The Star-Spangled Banner has four verses, and only the first one is sung. So here’s what to do. Sing all four verses of the Star-Spangled Banner, followed by all three verses of Hawai’i Pono’i. By that time the athletes will have become lethargic and the crowd will be asleep.
The essay implies that the kids at Kula Kaiapuni ‘o Pu’ohala sing only Hawai’i Pono’i, without the Star-Spangled Banner. That’s nasty, especially in view of the fact that the school and the Hawaiian immersion program are paid for with state and federal tax dollars. If they refuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of the U.S. and State of Hawaii then we should refuse to send them our money.
Here’s what I do at public events. If the event leads off with the state anthem Hawai’i Pono’i (which was the national anthem of the Hawaiian Kingdom) instead of the Star-Spangled Banner, I remain seated and refuse to stand. If a Hawaiian flag is raised or leads a parade without an American flag on top or in front, I remain seated and refuse to stand.
How white of you Ken.
I revere and respect Hawai`i Pono`i as our State Anthem, but I revere and respect even more our National Anthem, the Star Spangled Banner. I am an American first and a Hawaiian second. Thus, “God bless America, my home sweet home.”