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Translation Excercise - the Circle of Life

From:Mau Rauszer <maurauser@...>
Date:Thursday, January 23, 2003, 17:00
The Circle of Life (by Elton John - Tim Rice - Zulu lyrics by Lebo Morake)

Nants ingonyama baghiti baba     [ There comes a lion ]
Sithi uhmm, ingonyama              [ Oh yes it's a lion ]
Siyo nqoba                                [ We're goning to conquer ]
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala      [ It's a lion and a tiger ]

On the day we arrived on the planet
And blinking step into the Sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done

There's far to much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun's rolling high in the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round

It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love

Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle,
the Circle of Life

[The Zulu lyrics are trans-scribed to Meyadhew my Bantu-esque lang with different meaning]

Nants! iNgonyama ba-ghiti baba [See! Indeed Ingonyama (is)]
Kwithi mm-iNgonyama.              [there, yeah, Ingonyama]

Ziyo ae-nqoba.                          [We have conquered]

Her liyiede qeamangid
Alaiya yibalián silted
Ú qer iwu ireq, e-ngwat ire taqenn'
Ú qer iwu 'djaeq e-ngwat udje

Géad úwe yassieq qen
Úwu gémeq e-ngwat e-géme
Mí ha Ría petend nalton qi diwendi
Inqetenna noyadurweq.

Ú qe ngit inqeryo
Uinqwendi mbenna
Taqidul, hawussu
Nalíwad, leqed.

Gémedwi dagaryunna
Gúad ter-engéad
Ta Ngitedit
Ngited Inqeryo.

Here's the literal translation in Long Wer:

Her liyi.e.de qe.amangi(t).d
Time come.1pl.PPF this.planet.LOC
The time I have come to this planet

Ala.i.ya yibali.án silte.d
stare.1s.P walk.G shining-thing.LOC
I stared while I walked in the shininess.

Ú qer iwu ir.e.q, e-ngwa.t ir.e taqenn'
be.3s now more see.INF.DAT, A-can.2s see.INF what.ACC
Now (there) is more to see that you can see

Ú qer iwu (u)dja.e.q e-ngwa.t udj.e
be.3s now more do.INF.DAT A-can.2s do.INF
Now (there) is more to do (that) you can do

Gé.ad úwe* yassi.e.q qe.n
end.PP much/many speak.INF.DAT this.ADV
Thus (there is) far to much to say

géad úwe - far too much

Úwu gém.e.q e-ngwa.t e-gém.e
More find.INF.DAT A-can.2s A-find.INF
More to find (that) you can find

Mí ha Ría pet.e.nd nalto.n qi di.we.ndi
But rise Sun sky.A.LOC-male golden.ADV and give.3s.TR
But the Sun rises like goldenand gives

Inqet.e.nna noy.ad.u.rwe.q.
Life.A.ACC create.PP.PL.3s-gen.DAT
Life to his creations.


Ú qe ngit inqe.ryo
Be.3s this circle life.GEN
This is the Circle of Life

Uinq.we.ndi mbe.nna
make-live.3s.TR every.ACC
(Who) makes everything live

Taqi(t).d.ul, hawu.ssu
fight.LOC.beyond, hope.SOC
Beyond fight and hope

Nalíwa(t).d, leqe(t).d.
Belief.LOC, love.LOC
In faith and love


Gém.e.d.wi daga.ryu.nna
find.INF.LOC.until place.1pl-gen.ACC
Till the finding of our place

Gúa.d ter.engé.ad
way.LOC never.become-end.PP
On the way never-ending

Ta Ngit.e.dit
the Circle.A.LOC.in
In the Circle

Ngit.e.d Inqe.ryo.
Circle.A.LOC Life.GEN
In the Circle of Life

-- Mau
Lelqiendi taqe Ta Neqo Werenna. - Who loves The Lion King.

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Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...>