[Hook – 2x] Pono da root, kapu da rule, mana da flame in da temple school Tread real soft when you walk wit truth, 'Cause da gods stay watchin’ from da reef to da roof Three strand braid when da balance tight, One go slack, den da whole thing bite Peace or war, no mo’ cheat code — You like ride da wave? Gotta pay what’s owed [Verse 1 – “Pono (Da Balance)”] Pono, da light in da cloudy night Wen da moon stay dim, but you still act right It ain’t just peace, ain’t just fight — It da path you walk, da gut-feel rite He mea huna — like da ‘iwa fly, Balance in da sky ‘tween da mount an’ tide No straight line, more like wind kine glide Where right ain’t loud, but da wrong get pride Hana pono — da work, da way, Ho‘oponopono when yo fam stray Mihi fo’ da pain, kala fo’ da day, Cut da piko if no like stay He pono ka ʻāina, he pono ke kai, But pono no breathe if da people lie If da leader fake, da lāhui die — One root rot and da hale cry [Verse 2 – “Mana (Da Flow)”] Mana da fire, da surge, da swell, No can see ‘em, but you feel ‘em well If you humble, it build — if you greedy, it fell Even da quiet man, you can smell his spell Mana come from gods, from ʻohana bones, From da chants you speak, from da sacred stones From da ‘āina fed, from da fish you throw, From da pig you offer when da lava flow But power ain’t clean if da soul stay dirty, Talk slick but da heart stay thirty All da might in da world turn brittle an’ flirty If no grounded pono — it’s gone by thirty Mana like wai — flow if guide, But overflow flood if da kapu slide You can steal da throne, wear da crown wit pride But da mana don’t live where da spirits hide [Hook – 2x] Pono da root, kapu da rule, mana da flame in da temple school Tread real soft when you walk wit truth, 'Cause da gods stay watchin’ from da reef to da roof Three strand braid when da balance tight, One go slack, den da whole thing bite Peace or war, no mo’ cheat code — You like ride da wave? Gotta pay what’s owed [Verse 3 – “Kapu (Da Sacred Law)”] Kapu no just ‘bout don’t eat dis, It da cosmic code, da silent list Da red cloth hang where da shark god hiss Da aliʻi step, and da poor boy miss No prostrate? Get choke consequence You violate da line, you feel da defense Kapu moe when da king come hence — You lie face flat, show reverence Not ‘cause he one man — but ‘cause he da thread Linking gods to da land, da living to da dead He carry da mana, but it’s pono-fed If he act wrong, all da crops turn red Even da fish no swim when da moon stay dark ‘Cause da kapu speak through da pueo mark Season close, and da reef go stark — You break da rule, da gods no spark [Bridge – “Peace an’ War”] Pono stay diff in da time of war Sometimes gotta strike fo’ protect da core Path of Kū? Gotta bleed fo’ score Path of Lono? Gotta plant, not roar Pono no mean always smile Sometimes gotta walk dat trial Kūkāʻilimoku, he take ‘em wild But still pono if da war stay styled Sacrifice da pig fo’ stop da flame, But only wit pule, not thirst fo’ fame Kapu call shots, mana fuel da game, But pono da goal — always same [Verse 4 – “Trinity Braided”] Pono da compass, mana da sail, Kapu da ocean that keep us hale You stray from da line? Get ghost, get gale But you hold dat truth? Even death can’t pale It’s a braid of three, no loose strand Wit gods in da tide and gods in da land Wit chants from da elders, stone in da hand We walk dis earth by ancestral plan ʻAʻohe mea make i ka hewa ʻole — But live pono, still get room fo’ grow We pray wit awa, we bleed, we sow Ho‘omana strong, let da spirit flow [Hook – 2x] Pono da root, kapu da rule, mana da flame in da temple school Tread real soft when you walk wit truth, 'Cause da gods stay watchin’ from da reef to da roof Three strand braid when da balance tight, One go slack, den da whole thing bite Peace or war, no mo’ cheat code — You like ride da wave? Gotta pay what’s owed Outro So speak yo name wit da breath of stars, No fake da pule, no forge da scars From Paʻao’s chant to da king’s red bars, We braid da three, ‘cause dat’s who we are.
