At my birth the spheres

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…
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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.

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