If just for a day our king and queen Would visit all these islands and saw everything How would they feel about the changes of our land Could you just imagine if they were around And saw highways on their 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 How would they feel? Would their smiles be content, then cry
Chorus: 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 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.
All the fighting that the King has done To conquer all these islands, now these condominiums How would he feel if he saw Hawai'i nei? How would he feel? Would his smile be content, then cry?
(E hana hou i ka hui) (Repeat chorus)
Ua mau ke ea o ka `âina i ka pono `o Hawai'i Ua mau ke ea o ka `âina i ka pono `o Hawai'i.