A Love Poem by the Queen of Hawaii
In the tradition of the Song of Songs, this beautiful poem resonates with the longing for one’s beloved. Entitled Nani Nâ Pua, it was written in 1860 by Lydia Kamaka`eha Päkï, the last Queen of Hawaii – Queen Liliuokalani. She wrote over 160 songs during her lifetime.
The flowers of Ko’olau in their beauty
Fill the vale, fill with golden gleam
I cull and wreathe them for my loved one
At morn and night she fills my waking dream
Where are you, fairest of all fair ones
Where are you sweetest of all sweets
You are a flower of Paradise
That the morning breeze ever kindly greets
I praise your beauty, my fair one
You are the flower of all flowers to me
The lehua flower whose ardent sweetness
Overpowers the wanderer over the lea
And I cry “where are you, my loved one”
My spirit wants to be with you
To taste hours of tranquil pleasure
And wander neath Koiahi’s tree
The trilling notes of hidden songsters
As they sport around the jasmine bower
The scent yet in my memory lingers
Reminds me of you, the fairest flowers
Of Viliau, the sweetest blossom
Without you, my life is lonely
Come fill my hours with bliss, I pray thee
My flower, my bird, my chief and chosen one
The longing for love is in each human heart. In this life we may not find it, but the love of God as manifested in His Son and conveyed to us by the Holy Spirit are the morning breezes which touch us – the lost flowers of Eden.
The Love of God by Wintley Phipps
G.D. Williams has worked in Adventist higher education for 30+ years and is happily counting down to retirement. His other pursuits include photography, genealogy, collecting antique books, and working on his old farmhouse.
Photo Credit: FreeImages.com / Akemi Nakamori
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