Ahe Lau Makani, translated as The Soft Gentle Breeze or There is a Zephyr, is a famous waltz composed by Queen Lili'uokalani around 1868. Probably written at Hamohamo, the Waikiki home of the Queen, this song appeared in "He Buke Mele O Hawaii" under the title He ʻAla Nei E Māpu Mai Nei. Ahe Lau Makani is used only verse 1 and 2, and may be an abridged version. Līlīlehua refers to the name of the gentle rain in Palolo Valley, Oahu. Verse 1, 2 and the Chorus is translated by Liliʻuokalani, and Verse 3, 4 by Hui Hānai.
Ahe Lau Makani was composed jointly with the Queen's sister Princess Likelike and Kapoli, a mysterious collaborator who, to this day, remains unidentified. The "Viennese-ness" of this waltz is especially evident in the hui, or chorus. Ahe Lau Makani describes a lover's sweet breath. It poetically describes someone's yearning for a loved one. As Dennis says, "In the figurative Hawaiian, this breeze is actually the breath of one who I admire, carried by the wind. Whoever the Queen wrote about, she got right into that person and conveyed it through the whole song."
| He ʻala nei e māpu mai nei | There is a breath so gently breathing | |
| Nā ka makani lau aheahe | So soft, so sweet, by sighing breezes | |
| I lawe mai i kuʻu nui kino | That as it touches my whole being | |
| Hoʻopumehana i kuʻu poli | It warms me in my heart | |
| Hui: | Chorus: | |
| E ke hoa o ke Ahe lau makani | We, fair one, together, shall enjoy such moments | |
| Halihaliʻala o kuʻu ʻāina | While murmuring wind sweeps over my fatherland | |
| He ʻala nei e moani mai nei | There is a breath so soft and balmy | |
| Na ka ua noe Līlīlehua, | Brought by sweet zephyrs, Līlīlehua | |
| I lawe mai i kuʻu poli | And while wafted to my bosom | |
| Hoʻopumehana i ke aloha | It warms me with love | |
| He ʻala nei e puia mai nei | There is a fragrance that saturates | |
| Na ka makani anu kolonahe | A cool, soft breeze | |
| I lawe mai nā a pili | Brought it to cling to me | |
| Hoʻopumehana i ka manaʻo | Warming me with feelings | |
| He ʻala nei e aheahe mai nei | There is a fragrance wafted here | |
| Na ka leo hone a nā manu | The sweet call of birds | |
| I lawe mai a loaʻa au | Brought it to find me | |
| Hoʻopumehana i ko leo | Being warmed by your voice |
Read more about this topic: Compositions By Liliuokalani