He is the owner of the famous dīwān (collected poems). His real name is said to be Walīd b. ʿUbāda, or Ibn ʿUbayd b. Yaḥyā Abū ʿAbbād al-Ṭāʾī. He was originally from Manbij. He came to Baghdad. He praised Caliph Mutawakkil and the notables. It is said that his panegyrics are better than his elegies. When he was asked the reason for this, he replied: "A panegyric is written in hope of gaining something. An elegy, however, is written to pay a debt of loyalty, and there is a great difference between the two."
His poems were transmitted by Mubarrad, Ibn Durustawayh, and Ibn Marzuban. When he was told: "They say that Abū Tammām is a greater poet than you," he replied: "If it were not for Abū Tammām, I would not be able to earn my bread. Abū Tammām is our master."
Buhturī was a strong, eloquent, and articulate poet. He returned to his native Manbij and died there in this year. There is also a weak report that he died in the following year. He was eighty years old at his death.