- Eia mai au `o ka boy lâ
- A`o Laupâhoehoe lâ
- Kihikihi nâ po`ohiwi lâ
- Pûkonakona ke kino lâ
-
- Mea `ole ka pi`ina pali lâ
- Ka ihona me nâ `alu lâ
- I ke kahawai aku au lâ
- I ka `o`opu nâwao lâ
-
- A he hoe wa`a ia hana lâ
- I ke kai hânupanupa lâ
- `A`ohe a`u mea hopo lâ
- I nâ`ale o ke kai lâ
-
- Ho`i mai au i ka hale lâ
- Nunui nâ miki`ai lâ
- Kû`ono`ono `o loko lâ
- Pûkonakona ke kino lâ
-
- Ha`ina mai ka puana lâ
- Eia mai au `o ka boy lâ
- A`o Laupâhoehoe lâ
- Kihikihi nâ po`ohiwi lâ
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- Here am I
A boy of Laupahoehoe
- Broad are my shoulders
- Husky is my body
-
- I don't mind climbing the
hills
- Going down the
slopes
- I go
to the river
- For fresh water fish
-
- Canoe paddling I also do
- Over the rising waves
- I have no fears
- Of the bellows of the
sea
-
- I come home
- And eat big fingers of
poi
- Fill my insides well
- And keep my body husky
This is the end of my story
- Here I am
A boy of
Laupâhoehoe
- With broad shoulders
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Source: In the late 1950's, as the composer was doing
her housework, Laupâhoehoe, a little village
on a tiny promontory hit by the tidal wave of April, 1946,
stuck in her mind. A short time later, it came to her again,
prompting her to call Mary Pukui who referred her to
someone familiar with the place. Gaining insight, Irmgard
called Mary Pukui again to tell her of what she had
learned. Mary then wrote some lyrices about a boy from
Laupâhoehoe, called Irmgard back, who immediately sat
down, picked out the tune on her ukulele which came to her
quickly and completed the song in a few minutes. This song,
composed entirely on the phone, was recorded by Bill Kaiwa in 1963,
and became an instant hit.
Translation by Mary Pukui. Copyright 1959-63 Criterion
Music Corp Renewal
1987
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