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Ka 'Ula
by Barbara Dempsey
choreography - Barbara Dempsey
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Naue (on Kaua‘i) is known for its hala trees, which often symbolize love or separation, remembrance, forgiveness, and release.
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Puna (on Hawai‘i island) is linked with the goddess Pele and passion.
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Kīlauea refers to the fiery crater, symbolizing desire, transformation, or destruction.
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Ka'ula can symbolize love, sacredness, or vitality, since the color red (ʻulaʻula) is often associated with life, passion, and divine energy in Hawaiian culture
So, figuratively, this song (mele) expresses a story of love and distance — “the hala belongs to Naue, but the woman to Puna” — implying lovers separated by islands, with Kīlauea’s crater (fire) representing the intensity or consequence of that love.
Ka ʻUla is adorn by the sea
The shining isle calls softly to me
The radiance of Ni‘ihau — calm and serene
In the stillness, the gentle rain falls clean
Verse 2
The pandanus trees of Naue sigh
Drinking the tears of the ocean tide T
he hala belongs to Naue’s shore
And the woman to Puna forevermore
Chorus:
Ke lei mailā ‘o Kaʻula i ke kai ē. (The lei of Ka‘ula over the sea)
Ke lei mai lā ‘o Kaʻula i ke kai ē
‘O ka mālamalama o Ni‘ihau ua mālie ē. (Ah, the light of Ni‘ihau is calm)
A mālie, a mālie
Ua pā ē ka ʻInuvai lā (And the gentle tide caresses)
Verse 3
Ua noe ka makani i ka ʻili o ke aloha
The misting wind touches the skin of love
He aloha i hū mai i ka ʻae kai o ke kōlea
Love born by the shore where the kōlea returns
Verse 4
Ke inu mai lā nā hala o Naue i ke kai. (The hala trees of Naue drink from the sea)
No Naue ka hala, no Puna ka wahine (The hala belongs to Naue, the woman to Puna)
Born from the fire, from the depths of Kīlauea
No ka lua nō i Kīlauea ē (For the pit is at Kīlauea)
Chorus (Reprise)
‘O ka mālamalama o Ni‘ihau ua mālie ē
A mālie, a mālie
Ua pā ē ka ʻInuwai lā
Bridge:
Forever bound to the spirit of the sea
Ooooo… you and me
Adorned as a lei in the deep blue sea
Ooooo… drifting softly, you and me
Outro:
Where love drifts softly on the tide
Ka ʻUla i ke kai, forever we abide
A mālie ē… A mālie ē…
This song was inspired by the chant "Oli Lei" Ke lei maila ‘o Ka‘ula i ke kai
ē ʻO ka mālamalama a‘o Ni‘ihau ua mālie
A mālie ua pā (e) ka Inuwai lā
Ke inu maila nā hala ‘o Naue i ke kai
No Naue ka hala, no Puna ka wahine
No ka lua nō i Kīlauea ‘Ae!
translation:
Ke lei maila ‘o Ka‘ula i ke kai
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The lei of Ka‘ula over the sea
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Ka‘ula is a small islet off Ni‘ihau, and likening it to a lei evokes beauty and adornment over the water.
ē ʻO ka mālamalama a‘o Ni‘ihau ua mālie
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Ah, the light of Ni‘ihau is calm
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“Mālamalama” can mean light or brightness, often referring to the glow of dawn or calm illumination.
A mālie ua pā (e) ka Inuwai lā
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And the gentle tide caresses
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“Inuwai” is tidal flow; here it’s described as soft, rhythmic, and soothing.
Ke inu maila nā hala ‘o Naue i ke kai
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The hala trees of Naue drink from the sea
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“Hala” are pandanus trees, “inu” is to drink—poetic imagery showing nature’s connection to the ocean.
No Naue ka hala, no Puna ka wahine
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The hala belongs to Naue, the woman to Puna
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Suggests a connection to land and people, respecting ownership or origin in Hawaiian custom.
No ka lua nō i Kīlauea ‘Ae!
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For the pit is at Kīlauea, yes
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Possibly referring to a volcanic crater (“lua”) at Kīlauea, emphasizing the power of nature and perhaps hinting at a story or event connected to that place.