Nā Kaona o Ke Aloha o Ka Haku: The Hidden Meanings of The Queen's Prayer

The illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom was one of the most monumental events in Hawaiian history. Our kingdom was illegally seized, our Queen imprisoned and our way of life forever changed. Queen Liliʻuokalani was imprisoned by a group that called themselves the provisional government. This was group that had been conspiring to overthrow and take control of the kingdom for quite a while. During her time in prison Liliʻuokalani composed many songs, one of which I would like to analyze. I believe it to be one of her many attempts to rebel against the oppressive factions while trying to maintain her composure as royalty. When analyzing Hawaiian music, the context is critical and one must be aware of kaona, or hidden meanings.

The song I would like to talk about is “The Queen’s Prayer,” or “Ke Aloha o Ka Haku,” written by Queen Liliʻuokalani during her imprisonment in 1895. Being a very religious woman, she found solace in her Book of Commons (Morris 71-72). Psalm XXXI in this book gave her the inspiration for this particular song. She composed four songs during her incarceration. Of those, “Ke Aloha o ka Haku” was the only one that was published as sheet music. The Queen wrote this song for her niece Princess Kaʻiulani, her heir apparent to the throne. The song gives the feeling that the Queen hopes they will be able to find the strength to forgive their adversaries for denying their birthright as monarchs (Morris 73). The following is a translation taken from the book, Island Fire:

ʻO kou aloha nō Your love

Aia i ka lani, Is in heaven

A ʻo kou ʻoiāʻiʻo And your truth

Hemolele hoʻi So perfect

Ko`u noho mihi `ana I live in sorrow

A pa`ahao `ia Imprisoned

`O `oe ku`u lama You are my light

Kou nani ko`u ko`o Your glory, my support

Mai nānā `ino`ino Behold not with malevolence

Nā hewa o kānaka The sins of man

Akā e huikala But forgive

A ma`ema`e nō And cleanse

Nō Laila e ka Haku And so, o Lord,

Ma lalo o kou ʻēheu Beneath your wings

Kō mākou maluhia Be our peace

A mau aku nō Forever more (6-7)

This translation is quite literal. While I don’t know who translated this particular version, I do agree with its “literal” translation. It is clear that she makes specific reference to being imprisoned, yet she is still trying to find solace in a higher power. She does not want to be caught up with all of the evil and injustice that is happening around her. Instead, she believes this higher power should look upon these people, forgive their sins and cleanse them. This is one interpretation but there are always many ways of interpreting Hawaiian mele.

A second translation that also appears on the original composition page published in He Buke Mele Hawaii which is a compilation of mele written by Queen Liliʻuokalani, has even more religious overtones.

O Lord, Thy loving mercy

Is high as the heavens;

It tells us of Thy truth

And ‘tis filled with holiness.

Whilst humbly meditating

Within these walls imprisoned,

Thou art my light, my haven

Thy glory my support.

Oh look not on our failing,

Nor on the sins of men.

Forgive with loving kindness

That we might be made pure.

For Thy grace I beseech Thee;

Bring us ‘neath Thy protection And peace will be our portion,

Now and forevermore. Amen.

The Queen embraced the religious beliefs of those that held her captive. Ironically, it was this religion that provided the rationale used to undermine much of the Hawaiian culture and ultimately bring her rule to an end, shifting the balance of power and resulting in domination by the United States.

Hawaiian words can have several meanings when interpreting them within different contexts. Years after the song's release, the Queen’s enemies began to misconstrue its possible meanings. “Surely no one could read double meanings of sensuality, heresy, lasciviousness or lewdness in to [into] this song. Yet in the years that followed it was so construed (Allen 349).” Could her enemies have had ulterior motives? Missionaries or those in the provisional government may have used tactics such as these to diminish the Queen’s character in the eyes of her people. However, the Queen was a strong and very smart woman. She continued to protest the illegality of the seizure of her Hawaiian Kingdom.

Just after her release from prison, the Queen inscribed the song “Composed during my imprisonment at ʻIolani Palace, March 22, 1895 by the missionary party who overthrew my government (Morris 75).” I have included an image of this song below. This was a bold and brave act by the Queen. It was as if she was calling out her enemies. First of all it refers to those who had overthrown the government as missionaries instead of the provisional government (Morris 75). It is because of this that these words seem now to carry a bit more weight, especially from someone so firmly rooted in religion. It was as if she was specifically criticizing the religious faction and negating the previous religious context we were using to analyze the song. She was disgusted by how these missionaries or people of God had treated her. She was also bringing attention to the fact that these missionaries had disregarded internationally recognized principles of sovereignty by the act of illegal seizure of the throne (Morris 75). She had brazenly defied them all in just one simple sentence.

The Queen was disheartened by what was happening all around her. In one of her diary entries she stated: “I do not feel like going to church - perhaps never more. I never saw a more unchristian like set as these Missionaries and so uncharitable as to abuse me in the manner they do from the pulpit. Is it godly - No - It makes me feel as if I would not like to do any thing [sic] more for Churches” (Siler 230). She was so mistreated by these people, who could blame her.

On the surface, the song seems to be one of piety and devotion, a plea for mercy and strength for herself and the Princess to act with compassion towards her adversaries. But, when one considers the context of her imprisonment and her torment at the hands of her captors, it appears to be much more a song of protest. The inscription at the bottom of her song written in He Buke Mele supports this interpretation.

Works Cited

Allen, Helena G. 1982.The Betrayal of Liliuokalani Last Queen of Hawaii 1838- 1917. Glendale, CA: The Arthur H. Clarke Company,

Liliʻuokalani, Queen. "The Queen's Prayer." Harstad, Cheryl A. Harstad and James R. Island Fire: An Anthology of Literature from Hawaiʻi. University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2002. 6-7.

Lili’uokalani. 1895. “Ke Aloha o ka Haku” Holographic manuscript. Liliuokalani Collection, M-93 Item 216, Hawaii State Archives.

Lili’uokalani. 1897. He Buke Mele Hawaii. Copied by Edmund Hart & Charles E. King, M-93, Queen Liliuokalani Collection, Box 14, Hawaii State Archives. Hawai’i State Archives.

Morris, Cynthia L. 2013. The Prison Songs of Lili'uokalani. UC Santa Cruz: Music. Retrieved from: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4jx613tr

Siler, Julia Flynn. 2012. Lost Kingdom: Hawaii’s Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America’s First Imperial Adventure. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.