Abu al-Fath al-Busti
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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
[edit]Poetry
[edit]- 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
[edit]- 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.