From this website www.allthelyrics.com . . . there's Isa Lei Lia by Fiji, but I don't know if it's the same song you mean.

Isa Isa vulagi lassa dina
Nomu lako au na rarawa kina
Cava beka ko a mai cakava,
Nomu lako au na sega ni lasa.

Isa Lei, na noqu rarawa,
Ni ko sana vodo e na mataka
Bau nanuma, na nodatou lasa,
Mai Suva nanuma tiko ga.

Vanua rogo na nomuni vanua,
Kena ca ni levu tu na ua,
Lomaqu voli me'u bau butuka
Tovolea ke balavu na bula.

Isa Lei, na noqu rarawa,
Ni ko sana vodo e na mataka
Bau nanuma, na nodatou lasa,
Mai Suva nanuma tiko ga.

Domoni dina na nomu yanuyanu,
Kena kau wale na salusalu,
Mocelolo, bua, na kukuwalu,
Lagakali, maba na rosi damu.

Isa Lei, na noqu rarawa,
Ni ko sana vodo e na mataka
Bau nanuma, na nodatou lasa,
Mai Suva nanuma tiko ga.


ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Isa, Isa you are my only treasure;
Must you leave me, so lonely and foresaken?
As the roses will miss the sun at dawning,
Every moment my heart for you is yearning.

Isa Lei, the purple shadow falling,
Sad the morrow will dawn upon my sorrow;
O, forget not, when you're far away,
Precious moments beside dear Suva.

Isa, Isa, my heart was filled with pleasure,
From the moment I heard your tender greeting;
'Mid the sunshine, we spent the hours together,
Now so swiftly those happy hours are fleeting.

Isa Lei, the purple shadow falling,
Sad the morrow will dawn upon my sorrow;
O, forget not, when you're far away,
Precious moments beside dear Suva.

O'er the ocean your island home is calling,
Happy country where roses bloom in splendour;
O, if I could but journey there beside you,
Then forever my heart would sing in rapture.

Isa Lei, the purple shadow falling,
Sad the morrow will dawn upon my sorrow;
O, forget not, when you're far away,
Precious moments beside dear Suva.

If it's the wrong song, I'm so sorry!

Hi Celebrian. Yeah, there's different versions of Isa Lei - the one you posted is a nice one - it's kind of a "homesick" song, know what I mean? It's about missing Fiji. The one hilotano is referring to is a seperate version, about a woman, I think? I forget the story - but the guy is singing about his love who died... Anyway, I've emailed my cousin in Suva for the translation - I should have it in a day or so. The internet and email gets kinda sloooow down there...

ALRIGHT…. Here is the translation:

Isa Lei Lia
Isa sobo lei Lia
Auna soko, wasa yani vei iko isa lei Lia
Au a qara noqu matani civa
Mo noqui saki saki e vei siga
Sevataki wali Adi lia
Oilei, Lia

Na nomu leqa koso mai wai
Au sega ni lamata rawa mai
Vuni noqu leqa Adi Lia,
Oilei, Lia

Translation:

Oh, my Lia
Oh my lovely Lia
I will brave the open seas for you, my lovely Lia
I search long for my precious pearl
To be my daily companion and gem
Oh, the wasted time Adi Lia
Oh, my Lia

Your tragedy at sea
You couldn’t recover from it
It is the cause of your death, Adi Lia
Oh, my Lia

Hope this helps. There's no english word for "Adi" - it's more like a way of giving someone esteem... Like when a guy calls his daughter 'princess' or something. Adi doesn't literally mean princess though - it's just kind of a term of esteem/ endearment. As for the lyrics, this is not a “literal” translation – it doesn't exactly translate word-for-word into English very well, and in a lot of poly languages, some words have double-meanings or are metaphors for other things. My cousin just went line by line and translated the general meaning of each. I think most poly song translations are like that too....anyway, not sure how Lia died - I think she got the bends (diving deep and surfacing too quickly) - eh, just put it down to drowning though. That's what happened....

^Talk about double meaning...I just found out the meaning of 'mele hooipoipo' concerning Kalakaua!

Love this song