Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn To Me You Are Lovely
(Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen) lyrics Jacob Jacobs music Sholom Secunda
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Kh’vil dir zogn I want to tell you
Dir glaykh tsu hern And you’ll like hearing it
(Or “So you’ll hear me directly”)
Az du zolst mir libe derklern That you must make clear your love
Ven du redst mit di oygn When you speak with your eyes
Volt ikh mit dir gefloygn I would fly away with you
Vu du vilst, s’art mikh nit on Where you like, it doesn’t matter to me
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Ven du host a bisele seykhl When you have a little bit of good sense
Un ven du vayzt dayn kindershn shmeykhl And when you show your childlike smile
Bistu a makhmir vegetarianer (Ok, this is our own re-write : If you’re a “religiously strict” vegetarian)
Bist afile a galitsianer Even if you’re a Galitsianer
Zog ikh – dos art mikh nit I say — it doesn’t bother me
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Bay mir bistu sheyn To me, you are lovely
Bay mir hostu kheyn To me, you have charm
Bay mir bistu eyner oyf der velt To me, you are one in the world
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Bay mir bistu git To me you are good
Bay mir hostu “it” To me you have “it”
Bay mir bistu tayere fun gelt To me you are more precious than money
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Fil sheyne yingelekh hobn gevolt Many lovely young men wanted
Nemen mikh To take me
Nor fun zey ale oysgeklibn But from all of them, I’ve chosen
Hob ikh nor dikh Only you
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Bay mir bistu sheyn To me, you are lovely
Bay mir hostu kheyn To me, you have charm
Bay mir bistu eyner oyf der velt To me, you are one in the world