Fiddler on the Roof

A fiddler on the roof.

Sounds crazy, no?

But here, in our little

village of Anatevka

you might say

every one of us is a fiddler on the roof.

Trying to scratch out

a pleasant, simple tune

without breaking his neck.

It isn't easy. You may ask

why do we stay up there

if it's so dangerous?

Well, we stay because

Anatevka is our home.

And how do we keep our balance?

That I can tell you in one word!

Tradition!

Tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Tradition

Because of our traditions,

we've kept our balance

for many, many years.

Here in Anatevka,

we have traditions for everything.

How to sleep. How to eat.

How to work.

How to wear clothes.

For instance, we always

keep our heads covered,

and always wear a little prayer shawl.

This shows our constant devotion to God.

You may ask,

how did this tradition get started?

I'll tell you.

I don't know.

But it's a tradition.

And because of our traditions,

every one of us knows who he is

and what God expects him to do.

Who, day and night, must

scramble for a living

feed a wife and children

say his daily prayers?

And who has a right as

master of the house

to have the final word at home

The papa

The papa

Tradition

The papa

The papa

Tradition

Who must know the way

to make a proper home

a quiet home, a kosher home?

Who must raise a family

and run the home

So Papa's free to read the Holy Book?

The mama

The mama

Tradition

The mama

The mama

Tradition

At three I started Hebrew school.

At ten I learned a trade.

I hear they picked a bride for me.

I hope she's pretty.

I hope she's pretty.

- AH!

I hope she's pretty.

And who does Mama teach

To mend and tend and fix?

Preparing her to marry

whoever Papa picks.

The daughters.

The daughters.

Tradition.

- The papa

- Mama.

- Sons.

- The daughters.

Tradition

And in the circle of our little village,

we've always had our special types.

For instance,

Yente the matchmaker,

For your girl.

Reb Nachum the beggar,

Get away.

And, most important of all,

our beloved rabbi.

Rabbi, may I ask you a question?

Certainly Leibesh.

Is there a proper blessing...

for the Tzar?

A blessing for the Tzar? Of course.

May God bless and keep the Tzar

far away from us.

Dai dai dai dai

Dai dai dai dai

Dai dai dai dai

Dai dai dai dai dai

Dai dai dai dai

Dai dai dai dai

Dai dai dai dai

Dai dai dai dai dai

Then there are the others in our village.

They make a much bigger circle.

We don't bother them

and so far, they don't bother us.

And among ourselves,

we always get along perfectly well.

Of course, there was the time

when he sold him a horse

and told him it was only six years old

when it was really 12.

But now, it's all over

and we all live in simple

peace and harmony.

- It was really 12 years old.

- It was six.

Tevye knows it was 12.

How do you know it was realy 12?

Twelve! Twelve!

It was 12!

Tradition.

Tradition.

Tradition.

Tradition.

Tradition.

Tradition.

Dai dai.

Dai dai dai

dai dai dai

dai dai dai dum.

Traditions, traditions.

Without our traditions,

our lives would be as shaky as

as...

as a fiddler on the roof!

Mama! Mama,

Yente the matchmaker is coming.

Maybe she's finally found a

good match for you, Tzeitel.

From your mouth to God's ears.

Why does she have to come now?

It's almost Sabbath.

Out, all of you! I want

to talk to Yente alone.

But, Mama, the men she finds

the last one was so old.

And he was bald!

He had no hair.

A poor girl without a dowry

can't be so particular.

You want hair, marry a monkey.

Even a poor girl without a dowry has

to look at her husband sometime.

A husband is not to look

at, a husband is to get.

But mama, I'm not yet 20 years old.

- Sha!

- I don't think I

Do you have to boast about your age?

Do you want to tempt

the evil eye?

Tup'-tup'-tup'

Oh, out, all of you.

There's work to be done before the Sabbath.

Hurry! All of you, hurry.

Golde?

Golde, I have such news for you.

And not every day in the week news.

Once in a lifetime news.

Mmm, Such diamonds, such jewels.

I'll find a husband for

every one of them.

But you shouldn't be so picky, right?

Of course right! Because after all,

even the worst husband, God forbid,

is better than no husband, God forbid!

And who should know better than me?

Ever since my husband died

I've been a poor widow, all alone, no one

to talk to, nothing to say to anyone.

All I do at night is think of him.

And even thinking of him

gives me no pleasure.

- Is Tzeitel in the house?

- Why don't you go in and find out?

Thank you, Bielke.

- Yet he never raised his voice.

- Er... Good afternoon.

Is Tzeitel in the house?

She's busy. Come back later.

But there's something I like to tell her.

Later.

Later Oh, all right.

What does that poor skinny

tailor want with Tzeitel?

They've been friends since they

were babies. They talk, they play.

They play? What do they play?

I don't know. They're children.

Oh, from such children come other children.

Motel is nothing.

Yente. Yente, you said

you had news for me.

Ah children, children.

They are your blessing in your old age.

But my Aaron, heh', may he rest in

peace, couldn't give me children.

To tell the truth, Golde, he hardly tried.

But what's the use complaining?

Other women enjoy complaining. Not Yente.

Not every woman in the world is a Yente.

Well, I, I have to go home now,

to prepare my poor Sabbath meal.

So er... goodbye, Golde.

And it was a pleasure talking

our hearts out to each other.

Yente, you said you had news for me!

Oi, I'm losing my head.

Someday it'll fall off altogether

and a horse will kick it in the mud

and good-bye, Yente.

Of course, the news.

It's about Lazar Wolf, the butcher.

A good man. A fine man.

And I don't have to tell

you he's well off, no?

Yes.

But he's Lonely, the poor man.

After all he's been a

widower all these years.

You understand? Of course you do.

So! To make it short,

out of the whole town, he's cast his eye

on Tzeitel.

- My Tzeitel?

- No, the Tzar's Tzeitel.

Of course your Tzeitel.

Such a match for my Tzeitel.

But, but Tevye wants a learned man.

He doesn't like Lazar.

Good, so Lazar won't marry him.

He wants the daughter, not the father.

Listen. Listen to me, Golde.

You send Tevye to him. Don't

tell him what it's about.

Let Lazar discuss it himself.

He'll win him over. He's a

good man and a wealthy man.

So! Let me know how it went.

A-And you don't have to thank me, Golde.

Because aside from my fee,

which Lazar will pay anyway

it gives me satisfaction

to make people happy.

True? Of course true.

So, er good-bye, Golde,

and you're welcome.

Good-bye, Yente.

Come! Come, children. Get

changed for the Sabbath. Hurry.

Hurry with your work.

I wonder if Yente found

a husband for you.

I'm not anxious for Yente

to find me a husband.

- Not unless it's Motel the tailor.

- I didn't ask you.

Tzeitel, you're the oldest. They

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