Text and music by Mark Markovich Warshawsky (see note to Oyfn Pripetshik on page 2), originally titled Di Bobe Un Der Zeyde.
Today it is exactly fifty years,
the old married couple are together.
Look how well they have aged:
Eighty is he and seventy, she.
God has blessed them with wealth and honor,
they have never fought their whole lives together.
but called each other “Note dear” and “Bobe dear” –
Eighty is he and seventy, she.
The crowd has had a little wine,
and taken the Zeyde and Bobe into the circle
Our aunt danced across from them on one knee –
Eighty is he and seventy, she.
So they rejoiced for half the night
“Bobe dear,” said Zeyde, “Good night,
cover yourself up and sleep tight” –
Eighty is he and seventy, she.
Bobe began dozing off right away,
I will tell you her dream another time
Let’s let the two of them rest –
Eighty is he and seventy, she.
S’iz haynt akurat gevorn fuftsik yor,
Vi zey lebn zikh in eynem dos alte por.
Zey hobn zikh geeltert, kukt aykh tsi:
Akhtsik er un zibetsik zi.
Got hot zey mit oysher un koved baglikt,
In lebn hobn zey zikh keyn mol nit gekrigt.
Nor “Notele”, nor “Bobele” rufn zey zikh tsi —
Akhtsik er un zibetsik zi.
Der oylem hot genumen tsu bislekh vayn.
Dem zeydn mit der boben in rod arayn.
Di mume iz gegangen antkegn oyf a kni —
Akhtsik er un zibetsik zi.
Azoy hot men gehulyet a halbe nakht,
— Bobele — zogt der zeyde, — A gute nakht
Shlof mir gezunt un dek zikh tsi —
Akhtsik er un zibetsik zi.
Di bobe hot ongehoybn dremlen mit a mol,
Ir kholem vel ikh aykh dertseyln an andersh mol,
Lomir zey beydn lozn tsu ri —
Akhtsik er un zibetsik zi.
ס’איז הײַנט אַקוראַט געװאָרן פֿופֿציק יאָר,
וױ זײ לעבן זיך אין אײנעם דאָס אַלטע פּאַר.
זײ האָבן זיך געעלטערט, קוקט אײַך צי:
אַכציק ער און זיבעציק זי.
גאָט האָט זײ מיט עושר און כּבֿוד באַגליקט,
אין לעבן האָבן זײ זיך קײן מאָל ניט געקריגט.
נאָר “נאָטעלע”, און “באָבעלע” רופֿן זײ זיך צי —-
אַכציק ער און זיבעציק זי.
דער עולם האָט גענומען צו ביסלעך װײַן.
דעם זײדן מיט דער באָבען אין ראָד אַרײַן.
די מומע איז געגאַנגען אַנטקעגן אױף אַ קני —
אַכציק ער און זיבעציק זי.
אַזױ האָט מען געהוליעט א האַלבע נאַכט,
— באָבעלע — זאָגט דער זײדע — אַ גוטע נאַכט,
שלאָף מיר געזונט און דעק זיך צי —
אַכציק ער און זיבעציק זי.
די באָכע האָט אָנגעהױבן דרעמלען מיט א מאָל,
איר חלום װעל איך אײַך דערצײלן אַן אַנדערש מאָל,
לאָמיך זײ בײדע לאָזן צו רי —
אַכציק ער און זיבעציק זי.
Song Title: Akhtsik Er Un Zibetsik Zi
First published in 1972, Mir Trogn A Gezang: Favorite Yiddish Songs was reprinted six more times (in 1977, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000) due to popular demand. The songs in this anthology represent a sampling of beloved folk and well-known Yiddish songs, many of which are scattered in various song collections; some appear in very rare and inaccessible collections; and some were never before published. Folk songs comprise about a third of this volume and were selected mainly on the basis of popularity and sometimes for their historic significance. Needless to say, they are only representative of the vast, rich treasure of Yiddish folk material. The selection was made not only on the basis of personal preference, but in the knowledge they are favorites of many who sing these songs. Most of the songs represent the repertoire that was sung at Yiddish summer camps, May 1st demonstrations and at social gatherings. Many songs were introduced to American Jewry by Jewish immigrants who came to the United States after World War II, for whom these songs had been favorites in Poland and other East European communities destroyed by the Nazis.
