From the recording The Song Within The Song - track 6a. E Ho'olana No Lokahi
from: The Song Within The Song
track 6-a . E Ho‘olana No Lōkahi (James Romano)
E Ho‘olana No Lōkahi / E ‘Ilau Hoe Kākou 7:18 (James Romano)Jim wrote these two songs for the annual canoe-blessing ceremony of the Lōkahi Outrigger Canoe Club of Petaluma, California. E Ho‘olana No Lōkahi (Launching for Lōkahi) uses chants to tell of the 1976 launching of the Hōkūle‘a, the double-hulled canoe that became the lodestar of the Hawaiian renaissance. On its maiden voyage, the Hōkūle‘a sailed from Hawai‘i to Tahiti, using only traditional methods of navigation. The chants used in the lyrics are: Ē Kia‘i, an invocation to the guardians and guides of the canoe-builders and crew, written by Mary Kawena Pukui; Kīauau, a traditional work chant used in pulling a canoe into the water; and Lolo ‘Ana, a traditional offering to the gods to keep the canoe safe upon the sea.The second song, E ‘Ilau Hoe Kākou (“Let’s Paddle Together”), sings of gathering together with aloha for the sea and the canoe, and of working together as a whole.
Lyrics
E Ho‘olana No Lōkahi E Kia‘i by: Mary Kawena PukuiKī auau and Lolo‘Ana: Traditional Hawaiian canoe chantsMusic by: Jim RomanoArrangement by: Jim Romano and Paula Kauapāulaukī Rudman
E Kia‘i E kīa‘i, e alaka‘i E ho‘ona‘auao E ho‘olanakila A pae ka wa‘a I ke kula Me ka lanakila O guardian, O guideEnlighten us Grant us victoryGuide the canoe safelyBack to shoreWith victory Kī auauKī auau, kī auau Huki auau, huki auau Kō auau, kō auau Huki, huki Ho‘omālō ke kaula Mōkū ā ke kaula Haul, haulPull on, pull onDraw on, draw onPull, pullKeep the rope tautKeep the rope in position Lolo‘AnaE Mokūhali‘i, Kūpā‘aike‘e, LeaEia ka pua‘a He uku, he makana, he ‘alana He mohai iā ‘oukou Ua pa‘a ka wa‘a kaulua A he ho‘olana ‘ia, aku ana i ke kai E nānā pono loa ‘oukou ‘Amama, ua noa. O Mokuhāli‘i, Kūpā‘aike‘e, Lea Here is the pig A payment, a gift, an offering An offering to you And ready to be launched upon the sea The canoe is soundWatch over it long and wellIt is finished; the kapu is lifted E kia‘i, e alaka‘i E ho‘ona‘auao E ho‘olanakila O guardian, O guideEnlighten usGrant us victory