pili me ka'u manu

kolea kai piha!

i aha mai nei?

kunou mai nei. e aha kakou?

e ai kakou. nohea ka ai?

no kahiki mai. hiki mai ka lani. olina hawaii

mala'eal'e ke ala

nou e ka lani. puili pu ke aloha. pili me ka'u manu. ka puana a ka moe?

moe oe a ho'olana. ka hal'a a hiki mai;

o'oe pu me a'u

noho pu i ka wai aliali

ha'ina ia ka puana

o ka hua o ke kolea

aia i kahiki. hiki mai lou aloha. ma'ele au. a plover eating at the edge of the sea!

what is it saying to me?

it keeps bobbing its head. to do what would you counsel?

why

eat its plump body!

whence comes this sweet morsel?

from the land of tahiti. when our sovereign appears

hawai'i gathers for play. stumble blocks cleared from the way

fit rule of the king's highway. let each one embrace then his love;

for me

i'll keep to my dove. hark now

the signal for bed!

attentive then to loves tread

while a wee bird sings i the soul. my love comes heat-whole. then quaff the waters of bliss. say

what is the key to all this?

the plover eggs laid in tahiti. your love. when it comes

finds me.