Page:Discovery and Decipherment of the Trilingual Cuneiform Inscriptions.djvu/263

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234
CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS

other, wliich closely anticipates the 'Baga vazraka' of the correct version. The 'Omam buiom' the 'Homa excellent,' is replaced by 'imam buvam,' 'this earth;' and many similar improvements may be noted throughout. Both writers succeeded fairly well in rendering the simple phrases, but great diversity still existed as to the meaning of the obscurer passages. Both alike declare that Auramazda is the creator of heaven and of man; and that he has estabhshed Darius or Xerxes as King. But when we proceed to the second paragraph of the inscription our translators go far astray. The passage beginning 'king of countries' is thus variously rendered:[1]

B. oahunâm pi. ôznânam.
L. dᵃnghunâm ps'uwᵃ'znânâm.
S. dahyunâm. par' uv . zanânâm.


Trans. B. [roi] des provinces qui produisent les braves.

L. [rex] populorum bene parentium.
S. [Kὄnig] der Lἅnder die aus vielen Stämmen bestehen [or more simply by Menant: des pays bien peuplés].

B âahâhâ buiôhâ izrkânâ rurôh âpôh. L. aᵃnghâhâ bu'mihâ wᵃz'^rkâyâ d'uraiy, apiy. S. ahyâyâ . bu'mihâ . vazrakâyâ . d'uraiy . apiy. Trans. B. [roi] du monde excellent, divin, redoutable, protecteur. L. [rex] existentis orbis terrarum magni, sustentator, auctor.

S. [Konig] dieser grossen Erde auch fernhin [or, with Menant: 'de cette vaste terre (qui commande) au loin et auprès'].

  1. Spiegel is taken as representing the correct version. Cf. Spiegel p. 64 (Inser. Cᵃ); Burnouf, Plate III.: Lassen, p. 174; Menant, Les Achćmếmendes, p.53, Inscr. C.