Circle of Life – English Lyrics

• By: Elton John, Tim Rice
• Album: The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a musical journey with “Circle of Life,” a powerful anthem from Disney's *The Lion King*. This song, with its soaring melodies and rich, meaningful lyrics, offers a wonderful opportunity to explore themes of interconnectedness and the grand cycle of existence. Its iconic Zulu opening provides a taste of African language and culture, while the English verses beautifully articulate universal truths about finding one's place in the world. Dive into this special song to appreciate its global appeal and the profound messages it conveys through its poetic language.

[English]

From the day we arrive on the planet

And blinking, step into the sun

There's more to be seen than can ever be seen

More to do than can ever be done

Some say eat or be eaten

Some say live and let live

But all are agreed as they join the stampede

You should never take more than you give

In the circle of life

...

It's the wheel of fortune

It's the leap of faith

It's the band of hope

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding

...

In the circle, the circle of life

...

Some of us fall by the wayside

And some of us soar to the stars

And some of us sail through our troubles

And some have to live with the scars

There's far too much to take in here

More to find than can ever be found

But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky

Keeps great and small on the endless round

In the circle of life

It's the wheel of fortune

It's the leap of faith

It's the band of hope

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the circle, the circle of life

It's the wheel of fortune, yeah

It's the leap of faith

It's the band of hope

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding, yeah

In the circle, the circle of life

...

On the path unwinding, yeah

In the circle, the circle of life

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
arrive /əˈraɪv/ B1	verb - reach a destination
planet /ˈplænɪt/ A2	noun - a celestial body orbiting a star
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to Earth
stampede /stæmˈpiːd/ B2	noun - a sudden rush of animals or people, usually caused by fear verb - to rush wildly in a sudden mass panic
circle /ˈsɜːrkl/ A2	noun - a round plane figure whose boundary consists of points equidistant from the center.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
wheel /wiːl/ A2	noun - a circular object that revolves on an axle
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃən/ B1	noun - chance or luck as an external force affecting human affairs
leap /liːp/ B1	noun - a jump or spring verb - jump or spring a long way
faith /feɪθ/ B1	noun - complete trust or confidence in someone or something
hope /hoʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen verb - to want something to happen or be the case
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or location verb - to put something in a particular spot
path /pæθ/ A2	noun - a way or track laid down for walking or made by continual treading
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to drop or descend under the force of gravity. noun - an act of falling
soar /sɔːr/ B2	verb - to fly or rise high in the air
stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - celestial body of gas that shines by nuclear fusion
scars /skɑːrz/ B2	noun - a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not completely healed
rolling /ˈroʊlɪŋ/ B1	verb - moving by turning over and over adjective - having gentle slopes
sapphire /ˈsæfaɪər/ C1	adjective - a precious blue gemstone
endless /ˈendləs/ B2	adjective - having no end or limit

Key Grammar Structures

• From the day we arrive on the planet

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase as Adverbial Modifier

  ➔ The prepositional phrase "from the day" modifies the verb "arrive", indicating *when* the action occurs. It acts as an adverb, providing context about the timing.

• There's more to be seen than can ever be seen

  ➔ Comparative Structure with Relative Clause

  ➔ This line uses a comparative structure ("more to be seen *than*") combined with a relative clause ("can ever be seen") to emphasize the overwhelming amount of experiences. "Than" indicates the comparative, and "can ever be seen" provides additional information about what cannot be fully grasped.

• Some say eat or be eaten

  ➔ Parallel Structure (Imperative)

  ➔ This phrase uses parallel structure with two imperative clauses connected by "or". "Eat" and "be eaten" are both in the imperative form, presenting two contrasting options.

• You should never take more than you give

  ➔ Modal Verb 'Should' + Comparative Structure

  ➔ The modal verb "should" expresses advice or obligation. The phrase "more than you give" is a comparative structure indicating a limit; taking more is discouraged.

• It's the wheel of fortune

  ➔ Simple Present Tense for General Truth

  ➔ The simple present tense ("It's") is used to describe a general truth or a recurring phenomenon. It presents the "wheel of fortune" as a constant and inherent part of life.

• Till we find our place

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunction 'Till' + Subject-Verb-Object Clause

  ➔ "Till" is a subordinating conjunction indicating time, meaning "until". It introduces a clause with a standard Subject-Verb-Object structure: "we" (subject), "find" (verb), "our place" (object). The clause describes an action that continues up to a specific point in time.

• And some of us soar to the stars

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase of Direction

  ➔ The prepositional phrase "to the stars" indicates the direction of movement. "Soar" is the verb describing the action, and "to the stars" specifies *where* the action is directed.