Help with Hawaiian Lyrics

Pueo

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 6, 2009
Messages
26,285
Reaction score
4
Location
Kalaeloa, HI
Hi everyone,
I am writing a Hawaiian song for my wife for her birthday. I have pretty much all the lyrics except for the last verse. Here is what I want to say:

Let the story be told

The story of our love

Like a rainbow from Hawaii to California

I'm thinking it will be something like this:

Ha`ina mai ka puana

Ha`ina something aloha something

Ka pi`o o ke anuenue ma Hawai`i i Kaleponi nei

If anyone is able to help get the language correct that would be a HUGE help, mahalo.

If you want to see the rest of the lyrics I will post those.

I'm hoping after it's all done I will then post video of the performance!
 
Would you mind posting the results? I'm interested, and others may be too. If you can't, I understand.
 
My gift of mele to my wife for her birthday

My wife's birthday is on May 3rd. We are taking a cruise that sets sail on that day and I plan on playing this song for her.

Nanilei by Damon Young

Aloha wau ia `oe Nanilei
Ku`u kiele i mili ai
Honi aku `oe i ka makani

Elua no maua
Kiai ka mahina me na hoku
Ua maewa poniponi i ka noe

Ho`o pau ka ike wau i
Ke ala o
ka hanuhanu o Nanilei

Ha`ina mai ana ka puana
ka mele o kaua aloha
ke anuenue ma Hawai`i i Kaleponi `ane`i

I love you Nanilei
My gardenia to caress
Smell her on the wind

We alone together
look at the moon and stars
we sway in the purple mist

I am knocked out by
your fragrance carried on
the soft breeze of Nanilei

Let the story be told
The song of our love
a rainbow from Hawai'i to California

Vamp is Dm7 G7 C

Chord progression is
C G7 F Dm7
G7 F C
x2

then vamp again.

I am still working on the melody of the lyric and phrasing but I almost have it.

There is some personal Kaona in the mele, so I'm not sure how much widespread appeal this will have, but I look forward to finishing and performing the song, it is the first song I have ever written!
 
I decided to update the thread, I changed the order of the verses and figured out the phrasing:

Nanilei by Damon Young

Kaholo (Vamp) Dm7// G7// C//// x2

C// G7// F// Dm7//
Aloha wau ia `oe

G7//// F// C//
Ku`u Nanilei

C// G7// F// Dm7//
Ku`u kiele i mili ai

G7//// F// C//
Honi aku `oe i ka makani

(Vamp, then continue pattern)

Ho`o pau ka ike wau
I ke ala
O ka hanuhanu
O Nanilei

Elua no maua
Kiai ka mahina me na hoku
Ua maewa poniponi
I ka noe

Ha`ina mai ana ka puana
Ka mele o kaua aloha
Ke anuenue ma Hawai`i
I Kaleponi `ane`i

I know, I know, vid or it didn't happen. I'm almost ready to post a solo video!
 
Oh, that was so sweet of you to take effort in writing your wife a song. You must really love so much and I envy the relationship you have. I hope to hear the English version of that song on youtube.
 
Last edited:
A nice song. :)

When/if you get a chance, please post a link to an audio or video file of the song. We'd love to hear it.
 
maika`i no, e pueo. he mele nani loa keia.

Mahalo for your kokua. I could not have done it without you!
I would love to learn the language for real. Learning only through mele is like learning English by only translating poetry. Pretty, but difficult to learn how to form a real sentence.
 
Wow. That is a real commitment to your wife writing a Hawaiian song (she is from Hawaii, I suppose) about her on her birthday and singing it to her on your cruise – could it get any more romantic than this? I am glad we have such couples around who really care for each other and don’t mind others knowing about it Would have loved to hear the song but I understand that you want her to be the very first person to hear it Hope you have a wonderful life together and let others learn that life is too short and to love each other while we can
 
That was truly touching How thoughtful of you to go to all the trouble to write a song in the Hawaiian language (is your wife from Hawaii??) to sing it to her on her birthday and on the day you are setting sail on your cruise Do we have people who are so romantic even now Ages since I heard anyone make a gesture like this in a long time for their wife who is taken for granted these days Hope this is a beginning for other husbands to follow by example
 
Top Bottom