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Mele Mahiʻai
composed by Barbara Dempsey
Mele Mahiʻai
eia, eia, eia, eia
Verse 1:
Eia he honua, E hoʻopuʻe maila
Eia he ʻōʻō, E hoʻohou aku
Eia ka lima, ka lima a ke kanaka
Ho mai he wai, wai ola a Kāne
Bring forth the water, life giving water of Kāne Hō mai he ʻuala, kino ia ʻo Lono
Eia ke kalo, ʻo Hāloa ia
Hō mai he iʻa, ʻo Kanaloa ia
Chorus:
I ola ka Hāloa
I ola ka ʻohā
I ola ka pua, ke keiki
I ola ka hua o ke ʻoʻoleʻa
I ola ka Hāloa Life to Hāloa
I ola ka ʻohā I ola ka pua, ke keiki
I ola ka hua o ke ʻoʻoleʻa
Verse:
A ka luna pali Waipiʻo
On he heights of Waipiʻo cliff
Mania nei piko i ka ihona
Naue aku, naue lā, naue e ke hoa
March on, stand strong, my brothers
E kilohi i ka ʻiu aʻo Hiʻilawe
Eia Nāpoʻopoʻo noho i ka nani
Naue aku, naue lā, naue e ke hoa
Hiʻilawe — rise and see!
Nāpoʻopoʻo — calling me!
March on, stand strong, my brothers —
Hearts of iron, spirits free!
Chorus
I ola ka Hāloa Life to Hāloa
I ola ka ʻohā I ola ka pua, ke keiki
I ola ka hua o ke ʻoʻoleʻa
I ola ka Hāloa Life to Hāloa
I ola ka ʻohā
I ola ka pua, ke keiki
I ola ka hua o ke ʻoʻoleʻa
8 bar outro
Mele Mahiʻai
The Farmer’s Song
Here it is, here it is, here it is, here it is
Verse 1
Here is the earth, turning and rising
Here is the digging stick, renewing life
Here is the hand, the hand of man
Grant us water, the life-giving water of Kāne
Bring forth the water, life-giving water of Kāne
Grant us sweet potato, the body of Lono
Here is the taro, that is Hāloa
Grant us fish, the essence of Kanaloa
Chorus
Life to Hāloa
Life to the offshoots
Life to the blossom, the child
Life to the fruit of endurance
Life to Hāloa
Life to the offshoots
Life to the blossom, the child
Life to the fruit of endurance
Verse 2
From the heights of Waipiʻo cliff
The sacred center lies below
Move forward, move on, march, my friend
March on, stand strong, my brothers
Gaze upon the lofty Hiʻilawe
Behold Nāpoʻopoʻo resting in beauty
Move forward, move on, march, my friend
Hiʻilawe — rise and see!
Nāpoʻopoʻo — calling me!
March on, stand strong, my brothers —
Hearts of iron, spirits free!
Chorus (repeat)
Life to Hāloa
Life to the offshoots
Life to the blossom, the child
Life to the fruit of endurance
Life to Hāloa
Life to the offshoots
Life to the blossom, the child
Life to the fruit of endurance
This song is to acknowledge the importance of agriculture in the Hawaiian culture. The original oli (and the inspiration for this mele/song) was created by Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole for those who go to work in the māla or loʻi and/or any type of protocol pertaining to honoring or recognizing native Hawaiian agriculture. This mele can be found in Emerson’s Unwritten Literature of Hawaiʻi