Abu al-Fath al-Busti

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.

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