1
A title of each of the Kings of El-Yemen who possessed Himyer and Hadramowt, and, as some add, Sebà; but of no others. The like of this is said in the 'Eyn. They were so called because they followed one another: whenever one died, another took his place, following him in his way of acting.
Plural تَبَابِعَةٌ, with ة added as having the meaning of a relative noun; [as though it were plural of تُبَّعِىٌّ, as حَنَابِلَةٌ is plural of حَنْبَلِىٌّ]; written wrongly in some of the copies of the K as تتابعة.
The تبابعة of Himyer were like the أَكَاسِرَة of the Persians and the قَيَاصِرَة of the Romans.
In the Qur'ān 44:36 it is said in a tradition to mean one particular king, who was a believer while his people were unbelievers.
Qur’ān 44:38 approximate — somewhere between 44:25 and 44:59 Lane cites “Kur xliv. 36”
Qur’ān 44:37 located by this word inside the range Lane’s citation allows
أَهُمْ خَيْرٌ أَمْ قَوْمُ تُبَّعٍ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ أَهْلَكْنَـٰهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَWhat! Are they better than the people of Tubba and those who were before them? We destroyed them because they were guilty of sin.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.1
And hence: a species of the يَعَاسِيب [or kings of the bees], the greatest and most beautiful of them, which the other bees follow.
Plural تَبَابِيعُ; in the L, تَتَابِعُ [which is probably a mistranscription for تَبَابِعُ].
1.2
A species of طَيْر [which means any flying things, as well as birds; and may therefore, perhaps, be meant to indicate what next precedes].
1.3the shade, or shadow—تُبُّعٌ
So called because it follows the sun.
A poet says, namely Soadà El-Juhaneeyeh, or Selmà El-Juhaneeyeh, bewailing her brother As'ad: [He comes to the waters when people are dwelling, or staying, there, (but see حَضِيرَةٌ) and when no one is there, as the bird called katáh comes to water] when the shade has become contracted at mid-day
shāhidيَرِدُ المِيَاهُ حَضِيرَةٌ وَنَفِيضَةًوِرْدَ القَطَاةِ إِذَا ٱسْمَأَلَّ التُّبَّعُ
.
Or, according to Aboo-Leylà, the meaning is the shade of night: that is, this man comes to the waters in the last part of the night, before anyone else; though the word also means the shade of the day-time.
Or, according to Aboo-Sa'eed Ed-Dareer, the meaning here is [the star, or asterism, called] الدَّبَرَان; and this is very probably correct, for the bird mentioned above comes to the waters by night, and seldom by day; hence the saying أَدَلُّ مِنْ قَطَاةٍ.
See تَابِعٌ.
1.5I do not know who of men he is—مَا أَدْرِى أَىُّ تُبَّعٍ هُوَ
So Ibn-'Abbād.
1.6
تُبَّعٌ is also a plural of تَابِعٌ.
Show Lane's original text
An appellation of each of the Kings of El-Yemen (S, K) who possessed Himyer and Hadramowt, (K, TA,) and, as some add, Sebà; (TA;) but not otherwise; (K, TA;) and the like of this is said in the 'Eyn: (TA:) so called because they followed one another; whenever one died, another took his place, following him in his course of acting: (TA:) pl. تَبَابِعَةٌ , (S, K,) with ة added as having the meaning of a rel. n.; [as though it were pl. of تُبَّعِىٌّ , like as حَنَابِلَةٌ is pl. of حَنْبَلِىٌّ ;] erroneously written in some of the copies of the K تتابعة : (TA:) the تبابعة of Himyer were like the أَكَاسِرَة of the Persians and the قَيَاصِرَة of the Romans. (Lth.) In the Kur xliv. 36, it is said in a trad. to mean a particular king, who was a believer, and whose people were unbelievers. (Zj.) And hence, (TA,) A species of the يَعَاسِيب [or kings of the bees], (K,) the greatest and most beautiful thereof, whom the other bees follow: (TA:) pl. تَبَابِيعُ ; (K;) in the L, تَتَابِعُ [which is probably a mistranscription for تَبَابِعُ ]. (TA.) A species of طَيْر [which means any flying things, as well as birds; and may therefore, perhaps, be meant to indicate what next precedes]. (S.) The shade, or shadow; (S, K;) because it follows the sun; as also تُبُّعٌ . (K.) A poet says, (S,) namely, Soadà El-Juhaneeyeh, (TA,) or Selmà El-Juhaneeyeh, (marginal note in a copy of the S,) bewailing her brother, As'ad, 1 (S) [He comes to the waters when people are dwelling, or staying, there, (but see حَضِيرَةٌ ,) and when no one is there, as the bird called katáh comes to water] when the shade has become contracted at mid-day: or, accord. to Aboo-Leylà, the meaning is, the shade of night; i. e., this man comes to the waters in the last part of the night, before any one: though it means also the shade of day-time: (TA:) or, accord. to Aboo-Sa'eed Ed- Dareer, the meaning here is [the star, or asterism, called] الدَّبَرَان ; and this is very probably correct; for the bird above mentioned comes to the waters by night, and seldom by day; and hence the saying, أَدَلُّ مِنْ قَطَاةٍ . (Az, TA.) See تَابِعٌ . يَرِدُ المِيَاهُ حَضِيرَةٌ وَنَفِيضَةً | وِرْدَ القَطَاةِ إِذَا ٱسْمَأَلَّ التُّبَّعُ See also تِبْعٌ . مَا أَدْرِى أَىُّ تُبَّعٍ هُوَ I know not who of men he is. (Ibn-'Abbád, K.) تُبَّعٌ is also a pl. of تَابِعٌ [q. v.]. (TA.)