Veteran's Day - Hawai'i Aloha

Hope everyone had a happy Veteran's Day, and a sincere thank you to any veterans who might happen to be reading for your service. 

 Somehow of all the very moving posts I saw in honor of Veteran's Day (I have so many friends who are so much better at coming up with the words for days like this), this one, posted by a friend from Iolani, was the one that choked me up the most. Two lovely young women, soldiers in Iraq, singing a simple but beautiful rendition of Hawai'i Aloha, the unofficial state song of their faraway Hawaiian home.

Hawaii's anthem is Hawai'i Ponoi, which was composed by King David Kalakaua, and is also very special to the people of the islands - but this song is sung at almost every gathering, with everyone joining hands for the singing. Always makes me a little homesick to hear it and seeing these soldiers singing it off in Iraq was so moving.

Verse 1:
 E Hawai'i e ku'u one hanau e
Ku'u home kulaiwi nei
'Oli no au i na pono lani ou
E Hawai'i, aloha e

Chorus: 
 E hau'oli na 'opio o Hawai'i nei
'Oli e! 'Oli e!
Mai na aheahe makani e pa mai nei
Mau ke aloha, no Hawai'i


Verse 2:
 E ha'i mai kou mau kini lani e
Kou mau kupa aloha, e Hawai'i
Na mea 'olino kamaha'o no luna mai
E Hawai'i aloha e

chorus:

E hau'oli...

verse 3: 
Na ke Akua e malama mai ia 'oe
Kou mau kualona aloha nei
Kou mau kahawai 'olinolino mau
Kou mau mala pua nani e

Translation:
O Hawaii, O sands of my birth
My native home
I rejoice in the blessings of heaven
O Hawaii, aloha.

chorus:
Happy youth of Hawaii
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Gentle breezes blow
Love always for Hawaii.

verse 2:
May your divine throngs speak
Your loving people, O Hawaii
The holy light from above
O Hawaii, aloha.

chorus

verse 3: 
God protects you
Your beloved ridges
Your ever glistening streams
Your beautiful flower gardens.
chorus

One more note - this was in 2006 and judging by the comments, I think they made it home OK. They would sing songs from home like this to help themselves relax from the pressure they were under there.