Did you know that Pauahi was a well traveled woman in her time?
In fact one of her favorite mele inoa recalls some her travels across North America. In this mele, the composer makes references to California and the cold that she encountered there, strawberries (probably very uncommon if even available in Hawai‘i at the time) and Niagra Falls. Although a lot of the imagery refers to the cold climate of North America it also, speaks of her resilience and character. Below are the lyrics to “He Inoa No Pauahi”.
Honi ana i ke anu i ke mea hu‘ihu‘i
Hu‘i hewa i ka ‘ili i ka ua Pö‘aihala
Lei ana i ka mokihana i ka wewehi o Kaiona
Lïhau pue i ke anu hau‘oki o Kaleponi
Hia‘ai ka welina, ka nene‘e a ka ‘öhelopapa
Pupua i ka noe möhähä i ke anu
Noho nö me ka ‘ano‘i ka mana‘o ia loko
‘O loko hana nui pau ‘ole i ke ana ‘ia
A ka wailele ‘o Niakala ‘ike i ka wai änuenue
I ka pö‘ai‘ai a ka ‘ohu häli‘i pa‘a i laila
Pue ana i ka ‘ehuwai pupu‘u i ke ko‘eko‘e
Eia iho ka mehana o ka poli o Hi‘ilei
E ö e ka wahine hele lä o Kaiona
Alualua waili‘ulä o ke kaha pua ‘öhai
‘O ka ua lani pölua pö anu o ke Ko‘olau
Ku‘u hoa o ka malu kï malu kukui o Kaho‘iwai
She breathes the cool and refreshing air
Chilled is her skin by the Pö‘aihala Rain
She wears the mokihana, the adornment of Kaiona
She shivers in the cold, the chilly cold of California
She delights and is pleased with the creeping strawberries
And the cold mist that spreads and enfolds her
She remains with great love that comes from within
From her great heart whose depths cannot be measured
At the waterfall of Niagara she saw the rainbow arch
And the mist that spread all around there
She shrank from the water spray, shivered in the cold
And found warmth in the bosom of Hi‘ilei
Answer, O lady who walks in the sunshine of Kaiona
Where mirages dance on the ‘öhai covered plain
In the very foggy rain on the cold night of Ko‘olau
My companion of kï and kukui grove of Kaho‘iwai