On the origin of the Hamdani strain

Also from the Arabic edition of the Abbas Pasha Manuscript, my translation:

Ghadir al-Simri of the Dhafeer, a white haired man, the owner of al-Simr, was asked about the marbat of the Hamdaniyah Simriyah, in the house [Bedouin house, i.e., tent] of Farhan al-Jarba, at a gathering [majliss] in the presence of Farhan al-Jarba, Khuzaym the Shaykh of al-Sayih of Shammar, Ubayd Ibn Suqi, and Samir Ibn Zaydan al-Jarba [that’s the brother of ‘Ajil Ibn Zaydan owner of Davenport’s *Hadba], and a crowd of people, more than a hundred individuals.

O Ghadir, by your honor and good fortune, and belongings and children, recount the story of the Hamdaniyah Simriyah, your marbat. From where he pass to you? To whom did she pass from you? What are the marabet which recognize? Inform us truthfully in this gathering!

During the gathering, Ghadir al-Simri reported that: “As to the strains that passed from us to outsiders, our grandathers say that on the day of the battle of the Sharif, in times past, when our grandfathers were in Najd, twelves fillies from the daughters of the Hamdaniyah Simriyah our marbat left to the tribes [the tribes allied with the Sharif of Mecca]. This is why, we, O Simr, [a Simri is the one from the Simr, which is the plural] recognize every Hamdaniyah.

What we have ascertained is that the marbat of al-Muhsini of ‘Ataybah is from our marbat, we, O al-Simri. The reason of her passing to al-Muhsini from our grandfathe Simri is that the Dhafeer [his tribe] raided ‘Anazah. Ibn Ja’d of al-Jad’ah of ‘Anazah unhrose Simri from her. From Ibn Ja’d she passed to Ibn Ghurab of al-Burayk of Shammar.

On the day of the battle of Buraydah, she passed from Hamdan Ibn Ghurab to al-Muhsini of ‘Atayba qila’ah. From al-Muhsini she passed, by purchase, to Hamdan al-Sani’ [a Sani’ or craftsman belongs to the caste of craftworkers, which is below the caste of shepherds, itself below the caste of warriors in Bedouin society] of the craftsmen of ‘Ataybah. His brother Batti inherited her. When Batti died, his wife, her name is ‘Afra and she was of crafstmen [caste] inherited her.

On the day of al-sabiyyah [“the day of the concubine”], Turki Ibn Sa’ud bought her from ‘Afra for eight hundred rial. From the sons of Turki he passed to Khalid Ibn Sa’ud. Sultan Ibn Suwayt [the paramount Shaykh of the Dhafeer] wanted to buy her from Khalid the day of Khalid’s flight from Najd. We told Ibn Suwayt: “Do not buy our mare!”. […]

As to her original passing to our grandfathers, we and the Dhafeer [in general] searched and tried to track down her owners behind [i.e., before] Simri. We did not find anything, except that these were horses present with Simri and the grandfathers who predate the oral histories. And she is Kuhaylat ‘Ajuz to be mated. And these are the histories I heard from my father, and which my father heard from my grandfathers.

Another testimony:

The gathering at the house [i.e., the tent] of Shawardi Ibn Khudair, the Shaykh of the Ma’alin clan of the Dhafeer was queried about the Hamdaniyah Simriyah. What horses does she goes back to and to whom was her original ownership [shiya’ah in Arabic]?

The aforementioned Shawardi, the most senior Shaykh of the Dhafeer, informed that the Hamdaniyah Simriyah belongs to Simri of the Gawasim of the Dhafeer. The Gawasim are now [nomadizing] with the Shammar of the Jazirah, and Ibn Simri the owner of the marbat is [to be found] with them. What we know and is ascertained with everyone is that the Hamdaniyah Simriyah is of the ancient strains, from the day al-Dhafeer was created. She is to be mated in the darkest night. There is no question about her. Strains that are well ascertained with us are the Hamdaniyah Simiryah of the marbat of Ibn Ghurab of Shammar of the Jazirah and the marbat of Rayyah Ibn Hunaydi of the Jad’ah of the Fad’aan. There is no question about these two marabet at all. It is also said that the Hamdaniyah of the craftsmen of al-Sanawat of ‘Ataybah goes back to the Hamdaniyah Simriyah. These are ascertained and we know about them.

As to the Hamdaniyat [generally], they are around; people claim they are Hamdaniyat; each time someone says [this is a] Hamdaniyah Simriyah, the owner of the marbat recognizes her [note: he is taking a jab at Simri here]. That is from the greedy selfishness of the times [i.e., the time we live in].