He alo a he alo,

(Face to face)

That’s how you learn about what makes us weep.

He alo a he alo,

(Face to face)

That’s how you learn about what makes us bleed.

He alo a he alo,

(Face to face)

That’s how you learn about what makes us feel.

what makes us work.

what makes us sing.

what makes us bitter.

what makes us fight.

what makes us laugh.

what makes us stand against the wind

what makes us sit in the flow of power

                           what makes us, us.

Not from a distance

Not from miles away

Not from a book

Not from an article you read

Not from the newspaper

Not from what somebody told you

Not from a “reliable source”

Not from what you think

Not from a cliff

Not from a cave

Not from your reality

Not from your darkness

But,

He alo a he alo,

(Face to face)

Or,

else,

Paʻa kou waha. (Shut tight your mouth)

ʻAʻohe o kahi nana o luna o ka pali;

Iho mai a lolo nei;

‘Ike i ke au nui ke au iki;

He alo a he alo.

(The top of the cliff isn’t the place to look at us;

Come down here and learn of the big and little current,

Face to face.)

And come and help us dig the loʻi, deep.