تانيtake care (likely تأنَّ) حذيفةHudhayfa ماnot مثلهone like him
تاني حذيفة ما مثله
يحطhe lowers الرئيسthe chief ولاand does not يرفعhe raises
يحط الرئيس ولا يرفع
Take care, Hudhayfa: one like him does not
None can match Tani Huzaifa
bring a chief low, nor raise one.
He neither raises nor degrades the ruler
ايرفعdoes he raise? عنabove مالكMalik مالكاMalik
ايرفع عن مالك مالكا
فقبحso cursed be منof ذينكthose two الأوضعthe lowlier
فقبح من ذينك الأوضع
Does he raise Malik above Malik?
If he raises Malik, he raises his own
So cursed be the lowlier of those two!
How ugly are such dispositions!
كانas though (reading كأن) أباكyour father أبنson of ماءwater السماءthe sky
كان أباك أبن ماء السماء
اوor الملكthe king المتقىthe feared تبعTubbaʿ
او الملك المتقى تبع
As though your father were Ibn Māʾ al-Samāʾ,
Your father was a son of heavenly water
Or the feared king Tubbaʿ,
Or the pious king's follower
اوor الأبرشal-Abrash (‘the speckled’) فيin ملكهhis reign أوor
او الأبرش في ملكه أو
ابنson of الخيرal-Khayr (‘goodness’) أوor الأرعal-Arʿ (unclear epithet)
ابن الخير أو الأرع
Or al-Abrash in his reign, or
Or the virtuous in his kingdom
Ibn al-Khayr, or al-Arʿ,
Or a son of goodness and honor
وقيصرand Caesar الملكthe king أوor عامرʿĀmir
وقيصر الملك أو عامر
وعمروand ʿAmr وأبرهةand Abraha الأروعthe awe-inspiring
وعمرو وأبرهة الأروع
And Caesar the king, or ʿĀmir,
He was Caesar, the king, or Aamer
And ʿAmr, and Abraha the awe-inspiring.
Amr and the noblest Abraha
Sol 6.1