Kāu hana mau nō ia
‘O ka milimili ‘apa
Hala ‘ē ka wā kūpono
E kala nō ‘oe a
I a‘o mua ‘ia ai
Na ka ‘eleu mikimiki
Nāna e ka lawe lilo
‘A‘ole nō a he lua
A e like ai me ‘oe
Ma ka ho‘ohemahema
Kāpae ka hilahila
E wake up mai ho‘i ‘oe
A laila ‘aka ‘oe
No ka mea ‘o ‘oe ka best
Ua ‘ike maka nō ‘oe
I ka nani lua ‘ole
O ka lei hulu mamo
‘O ka puana kāu
E ho‘olohe mai
Na ka ‘eleu mikimiki
Nāna e ka lawe lilo |
That is always your way
To be so slow
And let opportune time go
You were told
A long time ago
That it is the lively one, the one on the spot
That takes the prize
There’s no other one
Just like you
In being negligent
Set aside your bashfulness
And wake up
Then you will laugh
Because you are the best
You have seen for yourself
The incomparable beauty
Of the lei of mamo feathers
This is the conclusion
That you must listen to
That it is the lively one, the one on the spot
That takes the prize |