Høküle'a Hula

Composed by Carlos Andrade
(On the Tape / CD Pacific Tunings by Nå Pali)

Outbound for Tongatapu, Aotearoa goodbye;
Leaving on the Southwest wind,
Høküle'a spread your wings and fly,
Ancient Polynesian pathway, carry us home again,
Sail on, and on, and on, till the journey’s end.

Chorus:

Follow the stars at night, high in the Southern skies,
Ke Ali’i o Kona i ka Lewa [Canopus], into the night while Orion dies.
Southern Cross is spinning slowly,
Aloha nui, goodbye. Aue Høküle'a, te vahine o ke kai.
Aue, aue, hi. Aue Høküle'a, te vahine o ke kai.

Sail at night for Ha'apai, Nuku'alofa goodbye,
Through the reefs, the shoals, the islands,
Fangatua lead us with your eyes,
Await the wind, Pangai, Lifuka, into Vava'u at night,
Sail on, and on, and on, until the morning light.

Matangi Tonga to Såmoa, Neiafu goodbye,
The winds blowing, there’s no stars showing,
Nainoa’s navigating, hold on tight,
Raise the island Tutuila, Pago Pago’s in sight,
Sail on, and on, and on, like a bird in flight.

Ha’ina mai ka puana, so the story is told,
Høküle'a sails the ocean highway with a family
Both young and old,
Aotearoa, Tongatapu, and now Såmoa have past
Sail on, and on, and on, to Hawaii at last.

Notes:

This song recounts the voyage of Høküle'a from Aotearoa to Såmoa, May 1–25, 1986. The voyage was a rough one, with gale force winds gusting 40-50 knots. In Tongatapu, Sione Taupeamuhu, a Tongan sea captain and navigator, joined the crew to pilot the canoe through the maze of “reefs, shoals, and islands” that make up the Tongan Archipelago.

Aotearoa: New Zealand.
Tongatapu: southernmost of three main groups of islands in the Tonga Islands.
Nuku'alofa: main port and principal town in the Tonga Islands; located on Tongatapu.
Pangai: town on Lifuka, the principal island of the Ha'apai Group
Neiafu: port on the island of Vava'u.
Matangi Tonga: “Makani Kona”—South Wind.
Pago Pago: capital of American Såmoa, on the island of Tutuila.