Lei `Awapuhi -Words & Music by Mekia Kealakai
He leo nô ka ipo ka`u i lohe iho
Na`u e kâkele a mau ia pua
Ua ho`oholo like `ia e ka naulu
E kui i wehi nô ka liko

Ho`ohihi wale nô ke aloha i laila
Ia pua i môhaloa i ka `ui
Na`u e ke aloha e kui a lawa
Me a`u kou lei `awapuhi

Hui:
Lei `awapuhi lei hiki ahiahi
Hoapili o maile lau li’i
Lana mâlie iho ho’i ka mana’o
Me ka nani lei ‘awapuhi

Môla`e o ke kula i ka maka o ka `ôpua
Me ka ua noe o ka uka kukui
I pulu no mâua i ke aloha mikioi
Ka makani kolonahe o ka wao

`Akahi ka mana`o a `ike pono iho
Ka `i`ini pau `ole aia nei
He momi ke aloha ma`ema`e i ke kino
Me ka nani lei `awapuhi

I heard the voice of a loved one say
Let me pluck and wear the flower
The dense cloud made a resolution
To string a lei for my leaf bud to wear

My love was strongly attracted
To the choicest flower that ever bloomed
Let me darling, string it into a lei
Oh, let your ginger be mine

Chorus
Ginger lei who comes to me at eventide
Close companion of the small leaf maile
Let your hope quietly abide
With the beautiful ginger lei

The plain is in full view before the eyes of the cloud
And the mist of the distant upland
We were drenched with love that came quickly
As the gentle breeze of the mountain region

Then came the thought to see for ourselves
The endless desire that is here
Love is a precious pearl to a person
With the beautiful ginger lei
Source: Cunha's Bergstrom Collection - Mekia Kealakai, a flutist and leader of the Royal Hawaiian Band, was on a train enroute to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, with his Hawaiian troupe The train stopped in a field of daisies and members got off to pick the flowers. This was the inspiration for the mele about the fragrant Hawaiian ginger that was first popularized on the US mainland before it was ever played in Hawai`i. Translation by Mary Pukui