Sacred · Lament · 1895 · Oceania
The Queen's Prayer
Ke Aloha O Ka Haku
A hymn that Queen Liliʻuokalani of Hawaiʻi wrote in 1895, while she was kept a prisoner in her own palace.
- Words
- Liliʻuokalani
- Music
- Liliʻuokalani
- Culture
- Native Hawaiians; the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi
- Language
- Hawaiian
- Place
- ʻIolani Palace, Hawaiʻi
- Date
- 22 March 1895
- Type
- Sacred · Lament
- The words
- Public domain (words and music by Liliʻuokalani (1838–1917), composed 1895)
The story
Liliʻuokalani (1838–1917), the last queen of the Hawaiian Islands, was one of Hawaiʻi's most accomplished composers and musicians; she wrote more than 165 songs and chants. "The Queen's Prayer", in Hawaiian "Ke Aloha O Ka Haku", is a mele she composed on 22 March 1895 while she was held under house arrest at ʻIolani Palace, and dedicated to her niece and heir apparent, Victoria Kaʻiulani. At the foot of the manuscript she wrote: "Composed during my imprisonment at ʻIolani Palace by the Missionary party who overthrew my government." She meant the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy by United States business interests, backed by the United States government. The hymn was published as "Liliʻuokalani's Prayer", with its Hawaiian title and an English translation, "The Lord's Mercy"; it is now commonly called "The Queen's Prayer".
It was one of several songs of her imprisonment. "Kuʻu Pua I Paoakalani" was written for John Wilson, a young haole supporter whose mother, Evelyn T. Wilson, went into voluntary imprisonment with the Queen: he regularly brought her flowers from her garden at Paoakalani wrapped in newspaper, and through the newspapers she could read the news that was kept from her. She set Psalms 121 and 126 in hymns dated June 1895, and in "Ka Wai ʻApo Lani" expressed the hope that she would be returned to the throne.
What it says
A prayer of a captive queen. She praises the Lord's love as high as the heavens and his truth as perfect, speaks of her own sorrow and imprisonment, and calls him her light and support; she asks him not to look in anger on the sins of men but to forgive and cleanse them, and to keep her people in peace beneath his wings for ever. The mood is quiet, grieving and forgiving.
The words
ʻO kou aloha nōYour loving mercy
Aia i ka laniIs as high as Heaven
A ʻo Kou ʻoia ʻiʻoAnd your truth
He hemolele hoʻiSo perfect
Koʻu noho mihi ʻanaI live in sorrow
A paʻahao ʻiaImprisoned
ʻO ʻoe kuʻu lamaYou are my light
Kou nani koʻu koʻoYour glory, my support
Mai nānā ʻinoʻinoBehold not with malevolence
Nā hewa o kānakaThe sins of man
Akā e huikalaBut forgive
A maʻemaʻe nōAnd cleanse
No laila e ka HakuAnd so, o Lord
Ma lalo o kou ʻēheuProtect us beneath your wings
Kō mākou maluhiaAnd let peace be our portion
A mau loa aku nōNow and forever more
ĀmeneAmen
Listen
On YouTube, from the channel Emma Veary - Topic. Pressing play loads YouTube’s player. Watch on YouTube
People, places and events
Sources
- Wikipedia, "List of compositions by Liliʻuokalani", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Lili%CA%BBuokalani
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). The Queen's Prayer. In Songs in History. https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/the-queens-prayer
- MLA
- “The Queen's Prayer.” Songs in History, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/the-queens-prayer. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “The Queen's Prayer.” Songs in History. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/the-queens-prayer.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘The Queen's Prayer’, Songs in History. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/the-queens-prayer (Accessed: ).