News / Christmas Songs

Christmas in Hawaii isn't complete without the fun and festive holiday Hawaiian music. It's the traditional with a definite island twist. Filled with lyrics in both Hawaiian and English, these songs are a joy for anyone wishing to remember and reminisce about the holidays in Hawai'i Nei. Mele Kalikimaka!

First the classics.

 

Away in a Manger (He Kapu Hanai)
Composed by William J. Kirkpatrick

He kapu hanai oia ka moe No ke kamaiki e hia moe ai  Nana mai lana hoku mailuna mai  Ia Iesu ka Haku o moe lai ana.	Away in a manger no crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
	The cattle are lowing the baby awakes But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes. I love you Lord Jesus; look down from the sky And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

 

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Mele Mai Na 'Anela) 
Written by: Charles Wesley & Felix Mendelssohn    
Hawaiian lyrics by Laiana

Hamau `e na kanaka Mele mai na `anela Eia ke Li`i hanau hou E ho'onani a`e `oukou Malu no ko lalo nei E hau`oli ho`omaika`i Ke Akua ko ke ao Ku`ikahi pu lakou Ke Akua ko ke ao Ku`ikahi pu lakou Oli a`e na `aina ka a pau Oli pu me kela ao E ha`i a`e mai `o a `o Iesu ke Li`i no kakou Hele mai ka lani mai Hanau `ia no ma`ane`i No kakou i hanau hou A loa`a ke ola mau No kakou i hanau hou A loa`a ke ola mau E aloha ke Li`i mau Ke Li`i pono no kakou Lama ola malu no No keia ao a pau Mele `e na kanaka Mele me na `anela Eia ke Li`i hanau hou Pomaikai a malu mau Eia ke'lii hanau hou Pomaika'i a malu mau

Hark the herald angels sing  Glory to the new born King  Peace on earth and mercy mild  God and sinners reconciled  Joyful all ye nations rise  Join the triumph of the skies  With the angelic hosts proclaim  Christ is born in Bethlehem  Hark the herald angels sing  Glory to the new born King Christ by highest heaven adored  Christ the everlasting Lord  Late in time  Behold Him come  Offspring of the Virgins's womb  Veiled in flesh  The Godhead see  Hail the incarnate Deity  Pleased on earth with us to dwell  Jesus our Emmanuel Hail the heaven born  Prince of peace  Hail the son of  Righteousness  Light and life to all He brings  Risen with healing in His wings  Mild He lays His glory by  Born that we no more may die  Born to raise us from the earth  Born to give us second birth

 

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear (Ka Po La`ela`e Ka Hikina Mai)
Written by Ed H. Sears & Richard S. Willis  
Hawaiian lyrics by Edward Kahale

Ka po la`ela`e ka hikina mai Ia mele `oli nei Mai na `anela i ke ao Ho`okani mai lakou He malu he aloha no Mai ka Makua mai Mehameha ke ao a pau Aloha no lakou Mai loko mai o ke ao A wehe a`e na `eheu A `o na mele ke `o mai la I ke ao luhi nei Maluna a`e o ka honua Kulou mai no lakou Ho`okani no a lohe `ia Ka leo o na `anela

It came upon the midnight clear  That glorious song of old  From angels bending near the earth  To touch their harps of gold  Peace on the earth goodwill to men  From heavens's all gracious King  The world in solemn stillness lay  To hear the angels sing Still through the cloven skies they come  With peaceful wings unfurled  And still their heavenly music floats  O'er all the weary world  Above its sad and lowly plains  They bend on hovering wing  And ever over its babel sounds  The blessed angels sing

 

Jingle Bells (Kani Na Pele) 
Written by: J.S. Pierpont    
Hawaiian lyrics by Ronald Brown

Kani na pele Kani na pele Kani na wa apau Le`ale`a no ke kau `oe Ma ke ka`a holo hau   Ha`ule mai ka hau A holo no lakou Maluna o na kula Me na leo hau`oli   Kani mai na pele Hau`oli nui no Ka hele `ana i ka holo Hau keia po

Jingle bells  Jingle bells  Jingle all the way  Oh what fun it is to ride  In a one horse open sleigh     Dashing through the snow  In a one horse open sleigh  Oe'r the fields we go  Laughing all the way     Bells on bobtail ring  Making spirits bright  What fun it is to ride and sing  The sleighing song tonight

 

Joy to the World (Hiki Mai Hau`oli Honua) 
Written by Isaac Watts      Music by George Handel    
Hawaiian lyrics by Hiram Bingham

 

Pomaika`i wale ko ke ao Ua hiki mai ke Ali`i E moe e na `aina a pau E malu nui mai E malu nui mai E malu, malu nui mai Hau`oli `o Iesu ke Ali`i Mahalo kanaka Ho`okani a`e na mea a pau E pau ho`i na kina E pau ho`i na kina E pau, e pau ho`i na kina A nana e ho`omalu mau Ke aupuni pomaika`i A `ike pu na `aina a pau Ia pono e ola ai Ia pono e ola ai Ia pono, pono e ola ai

Joy to the world  The Lord is come  Let earth receive her King, let every heart prepare Him room  And heaven and nature sing  And heaven and nature sing  And heaven and heaven and nature sing Joy to the world the Savior reigns  Let men their songs employ  While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains  Repeat the sounding joy  Repeat the sounding joy  Repeat, repeat the sounding joy He rules the world with truth and grace  And makes the nations prove  The glories of His righteousness  And wonders of His love  And wonders of His love  And wonders, wonder of His love

 

O Come All Ye Faithful (E Hele Mai `Oukou) 
Written by John F. Wade & M.A. Portogallo   
Hawaiian lyrics by Laiana

E hele mai `oukou Ka po`e mana`o`i`o E hele hau`oli i Betelehema Hele mai a `ike I ka Mo`i hanau hou Ho`onani kakou Ia ia Ho`onani kakou Ia ia Ho`onani kakou Ia ia Kristo ka Haku Ka lama i`o Mai ka Lama mai He nani Ka hua a ka pu`u pa`a Akua maoli i hana `ole i`a

O come all ye faithful  Joyful and triumphant  O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem  Come and behold Him  Born the King of angels O come let us adore Him  O come let us adore Him  O come let us adore Him  Christ the Lord God of God  Light of Light  Lo, he comes forth from the Virgin's womb  Our very God, begotten, not created

 

O Little Town of Bethlehem (Betelehema Iki E) 
Written by Phillip Brooks & Lewis Redner  
Hawaiian lyrics by Edward Kahale

Betelehema iki e Ke `ike nei makou Kou moe `ana i ka po Pane`e a`e na hoku La`ela`e no kou mau ala Ka lama e ola ai Ka li`a ka weli o na kau Aia no me `oe Hanau `ia `o Kristo A hui a`e ko `o Moe ko ke ao a kia`i mau Na`anela maika`i Hui pu na hoku ao Kukala a`e `oukou A mililani i ke Akua He malu i kanaka

O little town of Bethlehem  How still we see thee lie  Above thy deep and dreamless sleep  The silent stars go by  Yet in thy dark street shineth  The everlasting light  The hopes andfears of all the years  Are met in thee tonight For Christ is born of Mary  And gathered all above  While mortals sleep  The angels keep their watch of wondering love  O morning stars together  Proclaim the holy birth  And praises sing to God the King  And peace to all on earth

 

Silent Night (Po La`i E)
Lyrics by: Joseph Mohr     Music by: Franz Gruber 
Translated by: Noelani Kanoho Mahoe and Samuel H. Elbert

Po la`i e, po kamaha`o,   Maluhia, malamalama   Ka makuahine aloha e   Me ke keiki hemolele e   Moe me ka maluhia lani   Moe me ka maluhia lani  Po la`i e, po kamaha`o,   Oni na kahu hipa e   I ko ka lani nani no   Mele na `anela haleluia.   Hanau `ia Kristo ka haku.   Hanau `ia Kristo ka haku.  Po la`i e, po kamaha`o,   Keiki hiwahiwa aloha e,   Ka lama la`i mai luna mai   Me ka lokomaika`i makamae.   Iesu i kou hanau `ana.   Iesu i kou hanau `ana.

Peaceful night, wonderful night,   Peace, light   The beloved mother   With the holy child   Sleep in heavenly peace.   Sleep in heavenly peace.  Peaceful night, wonderful night,   The shepherds come   With the heaven's beauty  The angels sing hallelujah.  Christ the Lord is born.   Christ the Lord is born.  Peaceful night, wonderful night,  Beloved sacred child,   Light of peace from above   With goodwill and purity.   Jesus for your birth.   Jesus for your birth.

Na Mele O Hawai`i Nei." 1970, University of Hawai`i Press

 

And now some Hawaiian originals and twists on classics.

 

Christmas Day in Hawaii Nei
Louis R. Kauakahi

Clear blue skies, pristine seas,
Swaying palms in the tropical breeze
On Christmas Day in Hawai'i Nei.

Bustling crowds in shopping malls,
Blinking lights in front of City Hall,
Such is Christmas Day in Hawai'i Nei.

King Street's crowded with a motorcade,
With Santa riding high in a big parade,
What a wonderful way,
To spend Christmas Day in Hawai'i Nei.

Children's faces all aglow,
Liquid sunshine in place of snow,
On Christmas Day in Hawai'i Nei.

Garlands red, green, and gold,
See Waikiki's majesty unfold,
On Christmas Day in Hawai'i Nei.

All around the islands, far and near,
"Mele Kalikimaka," you will hear,
Na Malihini will say,
Na kama'aina will say,
"Merry Christmas to you"… in Hawai'i Nei.

 

Hawaiian Santa
Mary Johnson and Tony Todaro

Hawaiian Santa is a sight to see
When he comes surfing into Waikiki
He wears a malo around his big Opu
Singing a Merry Christmas and waving to you.

Hawaiian Santa with a great big bag
'Climb the window into your grass shack
He dance the hula around the Christmas tree
Bringing a lot of presents for you and for me.

Soft guitars are playing
Christmas songs to fill the tropic skies
Coco palms are swaying
Santa's here again in paradise.

Hawaiian Santa goes around the isle
And does the hula with a great big smile
He waves Aloha with a Christmas cheer
Mele Kalikimaka and Happy New Year.

 

Mele Kalikimaka (1949) 
R. Alex Anderson

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas to you."

(Repeat)

The words "Mele Kalikimaka" are a phonetic translation. When the missionaries and other Westerners first brought the custom of Christmas to the islands the Hawaiians had difficulty pronouncing Merry Christmas and turned it into words that rolled more easily off their tongues.

 

Numbah One Day of Christmas
(The 12 Days of Christmas local style)
Eaton B. Magoon Jr., Edward Kenny, Gordon N. Phelps

Numbah One day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
One mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Two day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Two coconut, an' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Tree day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Foah day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Foah flowah lei, tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree. 

Numbah Five day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Five beeg fat peeg... foah flowah lei, tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Seex day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Seex hula lesson, five beeg fat peeg (that make TEN!),
Foah flowah lei, tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Seven day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Seven shrimp a-swimmin', seex hula lesson,
Five beeg fat peeg, foah flowah lei, tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Eight day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Eight ukulele, seven shrimp a-swimmin', seex hula lesson,
Five beeg fat peeg (that make TWENNY!), foah flowah lei, tree dry squid, 
two coconut, An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Nine day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Nine pound of poi, eight ukulele, seven shrimp a-swimmin',
Seex hula lesson, five beeg fat peeg, foah flowah let, tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Ten day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Ten can of beer, nine pound of poi, eight ukuklele, seven shrimp a-swimmin'
Seex hula lesson, five beeg fat peeg,
Foah flowah lei, tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

Numbah Eleven day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Eleven missionary, ten can of beer, nine pound of poi,
Eight ukulele, seven shrimp a-swimmin', seex hula lesson,
Five beeg fat peeg, foah flowah lei, tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree.

(Numbah Twelve day of Christmas the bes', and the bes' stuff always come las'...)

Numbah Twelve day of Christmas, my tutu give to me
Twelve TELEVISION, eleven missionary, ten can of beer,
Nine pound of poi, eight ukulele, seven shrimp a-swimmin',
Seex hula lesson, FORTY steenkin' peeg,
Foah flowah lei, tree dry squid, two coconut,
An' one mynah bird in one papaya tree!

© 1959 Hawaiian Recording and Publishing Company, Inc.