Abu al-Fath al-Busti

A copy from the manuscript "Unwan al Hikam", Handwritten by Abu al-Fath al-Busti, Umm al-Qura University, Number. 15281-2

Abu'l-Fath Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hussain ibn Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Busti, also known as Abu al-Fath al-Busti (942 – 1010) was a Persian secretary and famous poet of the Arabic and Persian language. He served in the chancery of the Ghaznavid Amirs Sabuktigin and his son and successor Mahmud of Ghazni.

Quotes

Poetry

• زيادة المرء في دنياه نقصان
  وربحه غير محض الخير خسران
  • translation:
  • A man's increase in worldly wealth doth ofttimes loss betide,
    And all his pains, save Virtue's gains, but swell the debit side.
  • A Literary History of Persia, Vol. 2, p. 99

Stanza

• I counsel you, O Kings of Earth, to cease not
  Seeking good name for well-doing and right
  Spending your 'white' and 'red' to purchase honour,
  Which shall not wane with change of 'black' and 'white':
  These are the lasting spoils of Mahmud's prowess,
  Which spoils we share when we his praise indite.
  • cited by Dawlat Shah, also quoted in A Literary History of Persia, Vol. 2, p. 99

External links

• E. G. Browne: A Literary History of Persia, Volume 2, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom, 1964