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Rose Publications (The Rose Ensemble)
Liliʻu e
John Kaulia, arr. Linda Kachelmeier
A swaying, loving melody of adoration.
SA soli, SSA, ʻukulele
Akoni Kaoʻo, known as the “race horse of Waialua” for his success as a distance runner, was a renowned kumu hula and had served in the army during the reigns of Kalākaua and Liliʻuokalani. With this name chant, he expressed his loyalty to the Queen. A separate ʻukulele lead sheet is included. The score contains source information, historical context, editorial notes, performance suggestions, and a translation above the staff. A brief Hawaiian diction guide is included.
Composer’s Notes
Ruling from 1891-1893, Liliʻuokalani was the last sovereign monarch and only queen regnant of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Her full name, Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha, follows the Hawaiian custom of memorializing current events. At the time, regent Elizabeth Kīnaʻu had developed an eye infection, thus the child’s name comprises these words: liliʻu (smarting), loloku (tearful), walania (a burning pain), and kamakaʻeha (sore eyes). The name Lydia was given at her Christian baptism on December 23. Later, in 1877, upon being named heiress apparent to the throne by her brother, King David Kalākaua, she was given the name “Liliʻuokalani” (“Liliʻu of the heavens”).
Crafted by Antone Kaoʻo as an affectionate expression of loyalty to Queen Liliʻuokalani, “Liliʻu e” is actually a modification of a traditional name chant originally composed for a different royal Hawaiian figure (theories include regent Elizabeth Kīnaʻu, Queen Kapiʻolani, and an infant son of Princess Ruth). John Kaulia later set the text to his swaying melody (often referred to as the “Queen’s Hula”), which was likely harmonized first by Charles E. King, followed by myriad renditions by popular Hawaiian bands and orchestras throughout the 1920s-1940s.
Text
Ē Liliʻu e noho nani mai
Ko kino e i kiʻi milimili
Ko maka e e nōweo nei
Ko pāpālina e kukū ana.
Ko poʻohiwi ani peʻahi
Ko poli e he nahenahe wale
Ko kuli e nuku moi hoʻi
Ko wāwae he pahuwai ē.
Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
Ē Liliʻu e noho nani mai
Ē ō ē Liliʻu i kou inoa
Ka hae kalaunu o Hawaiʻi nei.
O Liliʻu, sitting so beautifully,
Your person we fondly touch.
Your eyes sparkle,
Your cheeks stand out.
Your shoulders wave like a fan,
Your bosom is so soft,
Your knees like a moi fish nose,
Your feet lifted up.
Tell the refrain
Of Liliʻu sitting beautifully.
Answer, Liliʻu, to your name—
The crowning flory of Hawaiʻi.
-Antone “Akoni” Kaoʻo (c. 1851–1928), trans. attrib. Thomas T. Shirai, Jr.
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