He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi

"He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi" ("Song of the Hawaiian Nation") was composed by Liliʻuokalani in November 1866 at the request of Kamehameha V, who wanted a national anthem to replace the British anthem "God Save the King". It replaced Lunalilo's composition "E Ola Ke Aliʻi Ke Akua" as the national anthem. Liliʻuokalani wrote: "The king was present for the purpose of Criticising my new composition of both words and music, and was liberal in his commendations to me on my success. He admired not only the beauty of the music but spoke enthusiastically of the appropriate words, so well adapted to the air and to the purpose for which they were written. This remained in use as our national anthem for some twenty years or more when my brother composed the words Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī."^[1]

He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi

English: Song of the Hawaiian Nation
National anthem of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Lyrics	Lydia Kamakaʻeha Dominis
Music	Lydia Kamakaʻeha Dominis
Adopted	1866
Relinquished	1876

Lydia Kamakaʻeha in 1865

Liliʻuokalani's memoir, Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen, stated: "In the early years of the reign of Kamehameha V. he brought to my notice the fact that the Hawaiian people had no national air. Each nation, he said, but ours had its statement of patriotism and love of country in its own music; but we were using for that purpose on state occasions the time-honored British anthem, "God save the Queen." ^[2]

An advertisement for the He Mele Lahui Hawaii that appeared in the Pacific Commercial Advertiser on June 8, 1867

By July 1867, the song was printed and was available for purchase in Honolulu, becoming the first of her compositions ever published. This decidedly Christian song served as the national anthem for ten years until her brother, by that time reigning as King Kalākaua, set it aside in favor of his own composition, "Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī", in 1876.^[3]

Lyrics

Ka Makua mana loa Maliu mai iā mākou E hāliu aku nei Me ka naʻau haʻahaʻa E mau ka maluhia O nei pae ʻāina Mai Hawaiʻi a Niʻihau Ma lalo o kou malu Hui: E mau ke ea o ka ʻāina Ma kou pono mau A ma kou mana nui E ola e ola ka mōʻī E ka haku mālama mai I ko mākou nei mōʻī E mau kona noho ʻana Maluna o ka noho aliʻi Hāʻawi mai i ke aloha Maloko a kona naʻau A ma kou ahonui E ola e ola ka mōʻī Hoʻoho e mau ke Ma lalo o kou aloha nui Nā Liʻi o ke Aupuni Me nā makaʻāinana Ka lehulehu nō a pau Kiaʻi mai iā lākou Me ke aloha ahonui E ola nō mākou I kou mana mau E mau ke ea[4]

Almighty Father bend thine ear And listen to a nation's prayer That lowly bows before thy throne And seeks thy fostering care Grant your peace throughout the land Over these sunny sea girt isles From Hawaiʻi to Niʻihau, And on our sovereign smile Chorus: Grant your peace throughout the land Over these sunny isles Keep the nations life, oh Lord And upon our sovereign smile Guard him with your tender care Give him length of years to reign On the throne his fathers won Bless the nation once again Give the king your loving grace And with wisdom from on high Prosperous lead his people on As beneath your watchful eye Grant your peace throughout the land Bless O Lord our country's chiefs Grant them wisdom so to live That our people may be saved And to You the glory give Watch over us day by day King and people with your love For our hope is all in You Bless us, You who reign above Grant your peace throughout the land

See also

• Compositions by Liliuokalani

References

1. Na Mele O Hawaiʻi Nei: 101 Hawaiian Songs by Samuel H. Elbert, Noelani Mahoe.Page 47
2. Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen
3. ^{[dead link‍]}
4. Mele Lahui Hawaii

External links

• Youtube: Liliuokalani He Mele Lahui Hawai'i
• Royal Hawaiian Band recording (MP3 generated from MIDI) and PDF sheet music

Preceded by E Ola Ke Alii Ke Akua

National Anthem of the Kingdom of Hawaii 1866-1876

Succeeded by Hawaii Ponoi