“In the early years of the reign of Kamehameha V, he brought to my notice the fact that the Hawaiian people had no national air. Each nation, he said, but ours had its expression of patriotism and love of country in its own music; but we were using for the purpose on state occasions the time-honored British anthem, “God save the Queen.” This he desired me to supplant by one of my own composition. In one week’s time I notified the king that I had completed my task. The Princess Victoria had been the leader of the choir of the Kawaiahao church; but upon her death, May 29, 1866, I assumed the leadership. It was in this building and by that choir that I first introduced the “Hawaiian National Anthem.” The king was present for the purpose of criticising my new composition of both words and music, and was liberal in his commendations to me on my success. He admired not only the beauty of the music, but spoke enthusiastically of the appropriate words, so well adapted to the air and to the purpose of which they were written.”

(from Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen, pp. 31–32.)

“Ina makahiki kinohi o ka noho moi ana o Kamehameha V., ua hoike mai oia ia’u i ka mea oiaio, aohe himeni lahui o na kanaka Hawaii. O na lahuikanaka, wahi ana, aka, koe kakou, ua hoopuka ae lakou i ko lakou makee a me ke aloha i ka aina ma kona mele ponoi, aka, ia wa e mele ia ana ka himeni o Beritania, “E ola ka Moiwahine i ke Akua,” no na manawa nui. O keia kana i makemake ai e kulai, ma o kekahi mele a’u e haku ponoi ai. Maloko o ka manawa o hookahi pule, ua hoike aku la au i ka moi, ua pau ka’u hana i ka hana ia. O ke Kama’liiwahine Vitoria, ke alakai o ka papa himeni o ka luakini o Kawaiahao, aka, i kona make ana ma ka la 29 o Mei, 1866, ua lilo ae la ia’u ke alakai ana. A maloko o keia hale, a na ia papa himeni i hoopuka mua mai i ke “Mele Lahui o Hawaii.” Ua hoea ae ka moi no ka manao ana e hooponopono i ka’u mele i haku ai, i na huaolelo a me ka leo, a ua haawi mai hoi oia i kona mau hoapono no ka holopono o ka’u mea i hana ai. Aole wale o ka leo kana i mahalo ai, aka, ua hoopuka ae oia i na huaolelo walohia nui o ka hoomaikai no ka pili pono o na huaolelo i ka leo mele.”

(Aloha Aina, 5/14/1898, p. 7)

Ke Aloha Aina, Buke IV, Helu 20, Aoao 7. Mei 14, 1898.