Well, the translation is open to interpretation as there are a few floating around there.
This is an account from Barry Clifford, page 97 of his book:
Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate ShipBy Barry Clifford, Kenneth J. Kinkor, Sharon Simpson
Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship
By Barry Clifford, Kenneth J. Kinkor, Sharon Simpson
View attachment 1791698
View attachment 1791697
Barry Clifford also offered this possible explanation:
It turns out that “Teye” and “Ba” were common Senegalese names during the 18th century when the Whydah was a slave ship. Clifford and his team believe the ring belonged to either an African slave trader or a slave who became a pirate.
Then there is this version which also contained the version ARC quoted.
I did not include that as ARC already posted, but it is available to view on:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/438186238720550268/
The Teye ring. This gold ring reveals much, yet keeps many secrets. The last name Teye seems to hail from the north of England, and other inscribed letters show it once belonged to a ranking British seaman connected with a Royal Navy base. How it got aboard the Whydah is unclear, but know this, hearties: No officer in the King's Navy would have handed it over except at the point of a saber. Unless, of course, he turned pirate himself.
I also saw the version Sis posted as well.
According to a Haitian Creole translatorTeye Ba is:
thou wast also give
"Almost" has a religious connotation sound to it ?
Not sure what "Wast" translates to, but this is yet another interpretation.
So what are the facts ?