Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono

Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono (Hawaiian pronunciation: [ˈuə ˈmɐw ke ˈɛə o kə ˈʔaːi.nə i kə ˈpo.no]) is a Hawaiian phrase, spoken by Kamehameha III, and adopted in 1959 as the state motto.

"[2][3] An alternative translation, which appears at Thomas Square next to a statue of Kamehameha III, is "The sovereignty of the kingdom continues because we are righteous.

"[4] This phrase was first spoken by Kamehameha III, the King of Hawaii, on July 31, 1843, on Thomas Square, Oʻahu, when the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hawaii was returned by the British through the restorative actions of Admiral Richard Darton Thomas, following the brief takeover by Lord George Paulet.

[3][5][7] Hawaiian activists argue that ea refers specifically to sovereignty because of the circumstances at the time Kamehameha III uttered it.

"[8] Pono, commonly translated as "righteousness", may also connote goodness, fairness, order, or completeness.