From the recording Hi‘ipoi - track 12. Pōhai Ke Aloha
Track 12. Pōhai Ke Aloha 4:13 (Lena Machado)In her book, Lena Machado: Songbird of Hawai‘i, the great singer’s hānai daughter, Pi‘olani Motta, relates that Machado wrote this song, “Surrounded by Love,” about the love between Royal Hawaiian Bandmaster Mekia Kealaka‘i and his wife, Mele. Whenever he talked about his wife, Mekia smiled with tears in his eyes, “kō mino‘aka mai, me ka waimaka.”
Lyrics
Pōhai Ke Aloha
Music by: Mekia Kealaka‘i, Lyrics by: Lena Machado
Pōhai ke aloha lā i ke kino Love encircles one
Ko mino‘aka mai, me ka waimaka Smiling through tears
Kehakeha i ka wai puhilani ho‘opulu Glorious, with heavenly flowing tears wetting
Ana i o‘u Pāpālina The cheeks
Ka ne‘e mai a ke ao hekili The approach of the thundercloud
I ke alo o nā kumu hau ‘ekolu Before the three hau trees
Kama lani, kama nui, kama iki ka home Heavenly child, great child, tiny child at the home
O nā ali‘i holokai Of the seafaring chiefs
E ō mai ku‘u lani. lei loke o Maui Respond, my royal one, rose garland of Maui
I mānai ‘ia me ke aloha Strung as a lei, with love
Mali ‘ia iho i ka hā‘upu Brought together by the memories
Ke aloha i ho‘okō ai Of the love that we have shared