dear god you made many many poor people i realize of course that it s no shame to be poor but it s no great honor either so what would have been so terrible if i had a small fortune if i were a rich man all day long i d biddy biddy bum if i were a wealthy man i wouldn t have to work hard if i were a biddy biddy rich yaidle deedle daidle daidle man i d build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen right in the middle of the town a fine tin roof with real wooden floors below there could be one long staircase just going up and one even longer coming down and one more leading nowhere just for show i d fill my yard with chicks and turkeys and geese and ducks for the town to see and hear squawking just as noisily as they can and each loud pa pa gee pa pa gaack pa pa gee pa pa gaack would land like a trumpet on the ear as if to say here lives a wealthy man oy if i were a rich man all day long i d biddy biddy bum if i were a wealthy man i wouldn t have to work hard if i were a biddy biddy rich yaidle deedle daidle daidle man i see my wife my goldey looking like a rich man s wife with a proper double chin supervising meals to her heart s delight i see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock oy what a happy mood she s in screaming at the servants day and night the most important men in town will come to fawn on me they will ask me to advise them like a solomon the wise if you please reb tevye pardon me reb tevye posing problems that would cross a rabbi s eyes and it won t make one bit of difference if i answer right or wrong when you re rich they think you really know if i were rich i d have the time that i lack to sit in the synagogue and pray and maybe have a seat by the eastern wall and i d discuss the learned books with the learned men seven hours every day that would be the sweetest thing of all oy if i were a rich man all day long i d biddy biddy bum if i were a wealthy man i wouldn t have to work hard lord who made the lion and the lamb you decreed i should be what i am would it spoil some vast eternal plan if i were a wealthy man 