Aloha’oe (Farewell to Thee)

By Queen Lydia Kamakaeha Lili’uokalani
Proudly swept the rain by the cliffs
As on it glided through the trees
Still following ever the liko
The Ahihi lehua of the vale.

      Chorus:
      Farewell to thee, farewell to thee
      Thou charming one who dwells in shaded bowers
      One fond embrace ere I depart
      Until we meet again.

Thus sweet memories come back to me
Bringing fresh remembrance of the past
Dearest one, yes, thou art mine own
From thee, true love shall ne’er depart.

I have seen and watched thy loveliness,
Thou sweet Rose of Maunawili
And ’tis there the birds oft love to dwell
And sip the honey from thy lips.


Source: She Wields a Pen: American Women Poets of the Nineteenth Century (University of Iowa Press, 1997)