Hawaiʻi '78 – English Lyrics

• By: Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole
• Album: Facing Future

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the heart of Hawaiian history and emotion through 'Hawaiʻi '78.' This song offers a unique opportunity to learn the poignant story of a changing paradise and to hear the beautiful Hawaiian language in a deeply meaningful context. The recurring phrase 'Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono' is the state motto and a cornerstone of Hawaiian identity, making this song a powerful and moving language-learning experience.

[English]

Ua mau, ke ea o ka ʻāina, i ka pono, o Hawaiʻi

Ua mau, ke ea o ka ʻāina, i ka pono, o Hawaiʻi

For just for a day our king and queen

Would visit all these islands and saw everything

How would they feel about the change of our land?

Could you just imagine if they were around

And saw highways on the sacred grounds

How would they feel about this modern city life?

Tears would come from each other's eyes

As they would stop to realize

That our people are in great great danger now

Would they feel?

Would their smiles be content, then cry?

Cry for the gods, cry for the people,

Cry for the land that was taken away

And then yet you'll find... Hawai'i

Could you just imagine if they came back

And saw traffic lights and railroad tracks

How would they feel about this modern city life?

Tears would come from each other's eyes

As they would stop to realize

That our land is in great, great danger now

For all the fighting that the king has done,

He conquered all these islands now there's condominiums

How would he feel if he saw Hawai'i today?

How... would he feel?

Would his smile be content, then cry?

Cry for the gods, cry for the people,

Cry for the land that was taken away

And then yet you'll find... Hawai'i

Ua mau, ke ea o ka ʻāina, i ka pono, o Hawaiʻi

Ua mau, ke ea o ka ʻāina, i ka pono, o Hawaiʻi

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
visit /ˈvɪzɪt/ A1	verb - to go to see someone or somewhere
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	noun - the act of becoming different verb - to become different
imagine /ɪˈmædʒɪn/ A2	verb - to form a mental image of something
sacred /ˈseɪkrɪd/ B1	adjective - connected with God or a religion; worthy of respect
modern /ˈmɒdən/ A2	adjective - relating to the present or recent times
danger /ˈdeɪndʒər/ A1	noun - the possibility of harm or injury
conquer /ˈkɒŋkər/ B1	verb - to take control of a place or people by force
content /kənˈtɛnt/ B1	adjective - feeling satisfied or happy
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears, often due to sadness
traffic /ˈtræfɪk/ A2	noun - vehicles moving on roads
realize /ˈriəlaɪz/ A2	verb - to become aware of something
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ A1	noun - a violent struggle or conflict
condominiums /ˌkɒndəˈmɪniəmz/ B2	noun - a building divided into separately owned apartments
taken /ˈteɪkən/ A1	verb - past participle of 'take'; to get or receive
highways /ˈhaɪweɪz/ A2	noun - main roads for fast travel

Key Grammar Structures

• Could you just imagine if they were around

  ➔ Second conditional (could + infinitive) for hypothetical situations

  ➔ The modal **"could"** introduces a polite invitation to imagine, followed by the past simple **"were"** in the if‑clause to show an unreal situation.

• How would they feel about the change of our land?

  ➔ Modal verb "would" + base verb for polite speculation / future in the past

  ➔ The phrase **"would they feel"** uses the modal **"would"** to ask about a possible emotional reaction in a hypothetical scenario.

• Tears would come from each other's eyes

  ➔ Passive‑like construction with modal "would" + verb for future in the past

  ➔ The modal **"would"** combined with the verb **"come"** creates a future‑in‑the‑past meaning: *in that imagined past, tears would happen*.

• That our people are in great great danger now

  ➔ Noun clause introduced by "that" as subject complement

  ➔ The word **"that"** introduces a clause **"our people are in great great danger now"**, which functions as the object of the verb *say/realize* (implied) or as a statement.

• For all the fighting that the king has done,

  ➔ Relative clause with present perfect "has done"

  ➔ The relative pronoun **"that"** links to the noun **"fighting"**, and the present perfect **"has done"** shows an action completed up to the present.

• He conquered all these islands now there's condominiums

  ➔ Simple past tense for a completed action; juxtaposition with present simple "there's" for contrast

  ➔ The verb **"conquered"** is in the **simple past**, indicating a finished historical act, while **"there's"** (there is) is in the **present simple**, showing the current state.

• Would his smile be content, then cry?

  ➔ Modal verb "would" + bare infinitive for hypothetical future; parallel verb structure

  ➔ The modal **"would"** introduces a speculative question about the **future** condition of his smile, followed by two parallel verbs **"be"** and **"cry"**.

• And then yet you'll find... Hawai'i

  ➔ Future simple with modal "will" contracted to "you'll"; emphasis with adverbial phrase "And then yet"

  ➔ The contraction **"you'll"** (= you will) signals a future action, while **"And then yet"** adds a rhetorical emphasis, suggesting an unexpected continuation.