Jerome Grey performs in this clip. The ‘oriana’ is a type of fragrant flower often worn as a hair ornament. This song talks about its beauty and how it’s a symbol of love.
Lou sei Oriana
se’i e sasala mai
E te nofo mai mauga
ma e fa’amaliuliu ai
Tau fao e teine ma tama
e tau ai o latou sei
Ae u’u lima i le auala
ma pepese i le Oriana
O lo’u sei Oriana
o le pua matala
E le tupu tele
ae taufelefele
Tupua oe mai anamua
Fua matala o le vaomatua
Sa teu ai o Samoana
O lo’u sei Oriana
Lou sei Oriana
o le pua matala
E talanoa ai tama
i afiafia o evaga
E sui ula fefiloi
ma sei tu’u fa’asapa
Savalivali i le masina
ma pepese i le Oriana
(sei Oriana, o lau sarona
ua sa’ili le tama
ua tasi oe i lou fa’amoemoe)
I bought the “Love” album and love the songs, but #7 Lo’u sei Oriana is my absolute favorite, I play it over and over. I read the comments above and the meanings of the song. It feels so soulful, spiritual and beautiful that it could mean fragrant flower, a women, love and spirituality all in to one. You can see I’m in awe of this song.
Love to all
Joann
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME THE MEANING OF THIS SONG IN ENGLISH
IFOUND THIS ON YOU TUBE AND FOR SOME REASON IT SEEMS TO BE VERY SPIRITUAL TO ME
I LOVE THE SONG BUT CAN NOT FIND THE NAME OF THE SINGER WHOM I AM HEARING SING IT
ALL YOU TUBE HAS IS “SIE ORIANA…VIC
PLEASE HELP I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHO SANG THIS VERSION
THANK YOU
DEBBIE
i love this song
Debbie
Oriana is the name of a flower.. I’m not sure what it’s called in English.
‘Sei’ is a what we call a flower (or other decorative items) that we wear in our hair, above the ear. So ‘Sei Oriana’ refers to using an oriana flower as decoration in our hair. (‘Lo’u’ means ‘my’).
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The first verse talks about wanting to smell the fragrance of the oriana, about how it grows in the mountains where it can be ‘turned’ .. not sure why it turns lol maybe to follow the sun like sunflowers do?
The second verse is about how boys and girls race to grab a sei oriana and then they hold hands, walking down the road, singing songs about the oriana lol
Next verse is more about this flower.. how it doesn’t grow that big, but its petals flare out (‘flare’ in a pretty, ruffle-y way)..
Then we talk about how the oriana first blossomed in the beginning of Samoa.. the old days, how it has beautified (decorated) the people of Samoa since.
.. then we mention how young men will chill with each other in the evenings and talk about this sei..
..how they make ula (garlands or lei’s) with the flower, put these ula on a certain way, then walk in the moonlight singing songs about the oriana.
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That’s the literal translation.. but as with many Samoan songs, this one could be a metaphor for something deeper in the fa’asamoa.. or something to do with love.. I’m not sure. Maybe someone else can enlighten us with that.
Oh, the clip you’re referring to.. is that this one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_HUQlBibGI
If so, that’s Jamoa Jam.
Hope that helps.
🙂
ill try to translate for whoever wants to know the english verson
Dear GARY AND HOMOQEEKGIRL,
THANK YOU BOTH ! W hat A Beatuiful Story Behind this Song. I will Now Have A Better Understanding < But Yet Still A Spiritual , Association ,With This Song .
I thank you for your time in helping me understand It Better By Translation
Please Keep In touch You Both Sound Like People Id love To Share Thoughts With On Music 🙂 JERSEYGIRLUSA@YAHOO.COM
THANKS AGAIN
Debbie
My only Oriana
snatch scents
You sit mountains
and it fa’amaliuliu
Price spikes are girls and boys
to their hair
But holding hands on the street
singing with the Oriana
My only Oriana
is to gather open
It happens a lot
but askew
Images from ancient
Bud of the jungle
Was buried Samoana
My only Oriana
My only Oriana
is to gather open
Talking to dad
in afiafia dating
In lieu of fun mixed
and only put Hab
Walking on the moon
singing with the Oriana
oh’ thankx, I love this song.. lollollol..
Here I’ll give it a go…
My hair flower Oriana
send your fragrance here
you live on mountains
and you
You are grabbed by girls and boys
they pick to make their hair flowers
holding hands on the road
and sing of the Oriana
CH:
My hair flower Oriana
is the open frangipani flower
it doesn’t grow large
but it has many branches
You have grown since ancient times
opening flowers of the forest
Samoan adorn themselves
my hair flower Oriana
Hi,
i want this lyrics to translate in english is there any chance you can translate it for me. because my family loves this song so much and they want to know the lyrics and sing along with to the words.
Awhh My Name is Oriana And im samoan tooÂ
can i pls have the chords for this song
Thanks Hamogeekgirl, you are right on.
Metaphorically “Oriana” is to the beauty and
desirability of a Samoan women, as this beautiful
fragrant flower is. A rare and fragile blossom
desired and appreciated by all.
The KATINAS are not from South Africa…theyre from the South Pacific…theyre Samoans…I should know because we are cousins (their paternal grandma and my paternal grandpa are siblings)….sei Oriana is Samoan song that all these people have done wonderful renditions of.
On the island the girls wear the flowers in their hair and on the ear but guys can wear them also on the ear without it meaning anything feminine.
Hi, I am from Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific and I find this song to be a very beautiful song.
I love the Katinas’ rendition to the song and the meaning is just as meaningful.
Beautiful song!
Carol