From the recording Hiʻipoi
Pōhai Ke Aloha
(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.”
PERSONNEL
Paula Kauapalaukī Rudman – vocals
Jim Romano – slack key guitar and vocals
Arrangement by Pūlama
Lyrics
Pōhai ke aloha lā i ke kino
Kō minoʻaka mai me ka waimaka
Kehakeha i ka waipuʻilani
Hoʻopulu ana i ou papālina
Ka neʻe mai a ke ao hekili
I ke ʻalo o nā kumu hau ʻekolu
Kamanui, Kamalani, Kamaiki
Ka home o nā aliʻi holokai
E ō mai kuʻu lani, lei loke o Maui
I mānai ʻia me ke aloha
Mali ʻia iho i ka houpu
A ke aloha i hoʻokō ai
Love surrounds your person
When you smile through tears
That rest there like raindrops from heaven
Dampening your cheeks
The thunder clouds gather
In the presence of the three hau trees
Kamanui, Kamalani, and Kamaiki
The home of the seafaring chiefs
Please respond, my heavenly one, my rose lei of Maui
A lei strung with affection
And held forever to this heart
That love has satisfied completely