Libst Mikh, Sertse?

That was absolutely a beautiful love song.

Steven Skybell & Jennifer Babiak sing “Do You Love Me” from Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof

Some of the songs in plays sound better in another language. Se parece, I like If I Were A Rich Man in english, while I adore Libst Mikh, Serste (Do you love me?) in yiddish. How about Sunrise, Sunset? Ah! Time to listen.

I also have a realization here about this song: listening to the English version was absolutely on a different plane. English movie version one was a bit funny, like the Tevye there was very good at instilling in my mind that he is the not-so-serious type of husband. Like the one you see in Hollywood with an angry wife.

And then you have Steven Skybell’s version, so serene, and serious but so pure. And you can sense that for 20 years, they have been married with a weight on their shoulders. Like an obligation of some sort. But the feeling is so strong that you’d understand from their performance their burning desire for each other, like they were only beholden to the thought that they were just waiting for someone to fold. And it was in this song that they folded. And they love each other it seems.

TEVYE:
LIBST MIKH, TAKE?
You love me, really?
Then you love me?

GOLDE:
DAKHT ZIKH MIR AZOY.
It seems to me so.
I suppose I do.

And omg I just found the full Yiddish lyrics of the whole play! I’m really moved by this song.