At my birth the spheres

First Half of the 12th Century

About This Entry

In this witty Hebrew poem, Abraham Ibn Ezra describes what he would expect to encounter in various hypothetical situations, blaming the humorously exaggerated mishaps on his horoscope. Ibn Ezra was an expert astrologer and composed many works in Hebrew on the topic, but here we see a more lighthearted side of his interest.

At my birth the spheres and planets strayed in their orbits;

Were I a merchant of candles the sun would not set until I died!

In vain I strive for success, for my stars have played false with me;

Were I to trade in shrouds, men would not die in my lifetime!

Were I to market a furnace, its fire would go out and remain unignited!

Were I to seek on a rainy day some water from the sea, it would dry up!

Were I to sell armaments, all enemies would be reconciled and not make war!

Translated by Leon J. Weinberger.

Credits

Abraham Ibn Ezra, “Misfortune,” from Twilight of a Golden Age: Selected Poems of Abraham Ibn Ezra, ed. and trans. Leon J. Weinberger (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1997), 66–67. Used with permission of the publisher.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.