Kīlauea - by Figgs

 
Nani ka huila o Kīlauea
I ka lawe mālie i ka laʻi
Kowali lua la e ka hoʻolaʻilaʻi
Kapalili i ka ʻili o ke kai
  
Hui:
Kaʻu wili pono ʻana i hola nō ka ʻia
I ka puʻuwai kapalili hoʻi
Kaʻu hana pono ʻana i hola nō ka ʻia
I ka pu`uwai kapalili hoʻi 
 
Nani wale hoʻi ka nohona ʻana iho
E walea iki me Hanakahi
Pūʻiwa au lā hikilele i ka leo
Inā ua wale ka nahele
Splendid the propeller of the Kīlauea
Smooth-running and quiet
It spins quietly
Quivering the surface of the sea
 
Chorus:
Perfect your twisting and turning
Thrills the heart
And then I go at it completely
O fluttering heart 
 
Beautiful is the way of life
To relax a little with Hanakahi
I am startled at the sound
When it showers suddenly in the forest

 

Source: Hillier Collection - The Kilauea was an inter-island steamer that sailed between 1860-1877, probable date of this mele. Many songs portray the ship as a lover and the hui lyrics: huila (propeller), wili (screw) and Hanakahi (one task) suggest this is about an affair shortened by the departure of the ship. Perhaps this is the reason King David Kaläkaua used the pen name of Figgs. Translator unknown