What do the words in the introduction of “Circle of Life” mean? ?

November 7, 2008 by Admin 

Do they have any meaning/translation? Is it Swahili?

you mean from the Lion King song? I’ve always wondered that too. now i’m super curious.

Filed under: Learn Swahili Blog
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Comments

4 Responses to “What do the words in the introduction of “Circle of Life” mean? ?”

  1. ⇧Taylor on November 7th, 2008 10:08 pm

    It sounds like African yodeling
    References :

  2. Mogo on November 7th, 2008 10:39 pm

    you mean from the Lion King song? I’ve always wondered that too. now i’m super curious.
    References :

  3. Kate K on November 7th, 2008 11:02 pm

    It is Zulu, not Swahili. However,"Hakuna Matata" is Swahili for no worries, Simba is Swahili for lion, and Rafiki is Swahili for friend (I know a little Swahili, but I don't speak any Zulu, unfortunately.) I know it's Zulu because I have the soundtrack to the Broadway musical version, and the little book sometimes includes the Zulu lyrics and translations with the other lyrics, and it says that it's Zulu. Unfortuately, I just checked, and the Zulu for the "Circle of Life" is not included, but I think it's a pretty safe assumption that it is Zulu, as well, although they do occasionally mention a Swahili phrase (see above), and the movie is set in Kenya, where there is a Pride Rock (according to my guide in Kenya, though I never saw it), and where Swahili is spoken (not Zulu.) I found this website, but I'm not certain of its accuracy, since it mentions a tiger, which are only found in Asia.
    http://archives.conlang.info/bi/gheifan/qilvhuldhian.html
    Also, a similar question has been asked before:
    http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070419000223AApL1e4
    Further, the best answer for this one claims that it is leopard, not tiger, which would make a lot more sense. However, I wouldn't pay much attention to the Swahili thing mentioned there. Ni seme kiSwahili (that means "I speak Swahili, which is, admittedly, an exageration, since I never even finished chapter one in my book.)
    References :
    Internet, Lion King Musical Sountrack, my book on Swahili, and my guide from my trip to Kenya and Tanzania.

  4. Sedora on November 7th, 2008 11:48 pm

    Just google the lyrics. Here’s a translation:
    http://www.lionking.org/lyrics/OMPS/CircleOfLife.html

    References :

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