I. I am Darius, the great king, king of kings, the king of Persia, the king of countries, the son of Hystaspes, the grandson of Arsames, the Achaemenian.
II. Thus said Darius, the King: My father is Hystaspes; the father of Hystaspes was Arsames; the father of Arsames was Ariaramnes; the father of Ariaramnes was Teispes; the father of Teispes was Achaemenes.
III. Thus said Darius, the King: That is why we are called Achaemenians; from antiquity we have been nobel; from antiquity has our race been royal.
IV. Thus said Darius, the King: Eight of my race were kings before me; I am the ninth. In two lines have we been kings. (or: Nine in succession we have been kings.)
(完全等同于铭文的第一至第四段)
铭文B:This Gaumata, the Magian, lied, saying:"I am Smerdis, the son of Cyrus; I am king."
铭文C:This Atrina lied, saying:"I am king of Elam."
铭文D:This Nidintu-Bel lied, saying:"I am Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabonidus; I am king of Babylon."
铭文E:This Phraortes lied, saying:"I am Khshathrita, of the family of Cyaxares; I am king of Media."
铭文F:This Martiya lied, saying:" I am Ummanish, king of Elam."
铭文G:This Citrantakhma lied, saying:"I am king of Sagatia, of the race of Cyaxares."
铭文H:This Vahyazdata lied, saying:"I am Smerdis, the son of Cyrus; I am king."
铭文I:This Arakha lied, saying:"I am Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabonidus; I am king of Babylon."
铭文J:This Frada lied, saying :"I am king of Margiana"
铭文K:This is Skunka, the Scythian.
铭文L:模糊，略等同铭文第70段，且只有埃兰文版本。
By the grace of Ahuramazda this is the inscription which I have made. Besides, it was in Aryan script, and it was composed on clay tablets and on parchment. Besides, a sculptured figure of myself I made. Besides, I made my lineage. And it was inscribed and was read off before me. Afterwards this inscription I sent off everywhere among the provinces. The people unitedly worked upon it.
A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Darius king, one king of many, one lord of many.。
大流士Naqas-i-Rustam铭文
贝希斯敦铭文英译版全文:
Introduction:Darius'stitlesandtheextentofhisempire
* (1)IamDarius[Dâryavuš] ,thegreatking,kingofkings,thekingofPersia[Pârsa] ,thekingofcountries,thesonofHystaspes,thegrandsonofArsames,theAchaemenid.
* (2)KingDariussays:MyfatherisHystaspes[Vištâspa] ;thefatherofHystaspeswasArsames[Aršâma] ;thefatherofArsameswasAriaramnes[Ariyâramna] ;thefatherofAriaramneswasTeispes[Cišpiš] ;thefatherofTeispeswasAchaemenes[Haxâmaniš] .
* (3)KingDariussays:ThatiswhywearecalledAchaemenids;fromantiquitywehavebeennoble;fromantiquityhasourdynastybeenroyal.
* (5)KingDariussays:BythegraceofAhuramazdaamIking;Ahuramazdahasgrantedmethekingdom.
* (6)KingDariussays:Thesearethecountrieswhicharesubjectuntome,andbythegraceofAhuramazdaIbecamekingofthem:Persia[Pârsa] ,Elam[Ûvja] ,Babylonia[Bâbiruš] ,Assyria[Ahurâ] ,Arabia[Arabâya] ,Egypt[Mudrâya] ,thecountriesbytheSea,Lydia[Sparda] ,theGreeks[Yauna] ,Media[Mâda] ,Armenia[Armina] ,Cappadocia[Katpatuka] ,Parthia[Parthava] ,Drangiana[Zraka] ,Aria[Haraiva] ,Chorasmia[Uvârazmîy] ,Bactria[Bâxtriš] ,Sogdia[Suguda] ,Gandara[Gadâra] ,Scythia[Saka] ,Sattagydia[Thataguš] ,Arachosia[Harauvatiš]andMaka[Maka] ;twenty-threelandsinall.
MurderofSmerdisandcoupofGaumâtatheMagian
DariuskillsGaumâtaandrestoresthekingdom
* (15)KingDariussays:ThiswaswhatIdidafterIbecameking.
RebellionsofššinaofElamandNidintu-BêlofBabylon
=Columntwo=
* (21)KingDariussays:WhileIwasinBabylon,theseprovincesrevoltedfromme:Persia,Elam,Media,Assyria,Egypt,Parthia,Margiana[Marguš] ,Sattagydia[Thataguš] ,andScythia[Saka] .
RevoltofMartiyaofElam
* (22)KingDariussays:AcertainmannamedMartiya,thesonofZinzakriš,dweltinacityinPersiacalledKuganakâ.ThismanrevoltedinElam,andhesaidtothepeople:'IamUmmaniš,kinginElam.'
RevoltofPhraortesofMedia
RevoltoftheArmenians
EndoftherevoltoftheMedes
* (34)KingDariussays:ThisiswhatwasdonebymeinMedia.
RevoltoftheParthians
=Columnthree=
FrâdaRevoltofFrâdaofMargiana
RevoltofVahyazdâtaofPersia
* (43)KingDariussays:ThendidIcrucifythatVahyazdâtaandthemenwhowerehischieffollowersinacityinPersiacalledUvâdaicaya.
* (44)KingDariussays:ThisiswhatwasdonebymeinPersia.
ArakhaSecondBabylonianrevolt
=Columnfour=
* (51)KingDariussays:ThisiswhatwasdonebymeinBabylon.
ummary
* (53)KingDariussays:TheseninekingdidIcaptureinthesewars.
* (55)KingDariussays:Youwhoshallbekinghereafter,protectyourselfvigorouslyfromlies;punishtheliarswell,ifthusyoushallthink, 'Maymycountrybesecure!'
Affirmationofthetruthoftherecord
* (57)KingDariussays:IcallAhuramazdatowitnessthatistrueandnotlies;allofithaveIdoneinasingleyear.
Affirmationthatitispioustomakeknowntherecord
* (59)KingDariussays:Thosewhoweretheformerkings,aslongastheylived,bythemwasnotdonethusasbythefavorofAhuramazdawasdonebymeinoneandthesameyear.
* (61)KingDariussays:Ifyouconcealthisedictanddonotpublishittotheworld,mayAhuramazdaslayyouandmayyourhousecease.
Theimportanceofrighteousness
* (64)KingDariussays:Youwhomaybekinghereafter,whosoevershallbealiarorarebel,orshallnotbefriendly,punishhim!
Blessingsandcurses
* (65)KingDariussays:Youwhoshallhereafterseethistablet,whichIhavewritten,orthesesculptures,donotdestroythem,butpreservethemsolongasyoulive!
* (67)KingDariussays:Ifyoushallbeholdthisinscriptionorthesesculptures,andshalldestroythemandshallnotpreservethemsolongasyourlineendures,mayAhuramazdaslayyou,mayyourfamilycometonought,andmayAhuramazdadestroywhateveryoudo!
* (68)KingDariussays:ThesearethemenwhowerewithmewhenIslewGaumâtatheMagian[maguš] ,whowascalledSmerdis[Bardiya] ;thenthesemenhelpedmeasmyfollowers::*Intaphrenes[Vidafarnâ] ,sonofVayâspâra,aPersian;:*Otanes[Utâna] ,sonofThukhra[Thuxra] ,aPersian;:*Gobryas[Gaubaruva] ,sonofMardonius[Marduniya] ,aPersian;:*Hydarnes[Vidarna] ,sonofBagâbigna,aPersian;:*Megabyzus[Bagabuxša] ,sonofDâtuvahya,aPersian;:*Ardumaniš,sonofVakauka,aPersian.
* (69)KingDariussays:Youwhomaybekinghereafter,protectthefamilyofthesemen.
=Columnfive=
AnewrebelliononElam(Autumn521)
* (73)KingDariussays:WhososhallworshipAhuramazda,divineblessingwillbeuponhim,bothwhilelivingandwhendead.
WaragainsttheScythians(520/519)
* (76)KingDariussays:WhososhallworshipAhuramazda,divineblessingwillbeuponhim,bothwhilelivingandwhendead.
谈到楔形文字，不能不说“贝希斯敦铭文”。它位于名为贝希斯敦的大崖石上。岩壁上有一巨型浮雕，上面雕有一个国王的形象，国王对面是十个仆从、被征服者或俘虏，国王的一只脚踏在第一个躺在地上的人的胸部，其他人被捆绑着，脖子上拴着一根绳子。浮雕的周围是大量的铭文，是三种不同种类的楔形文字，其中之一是古代波斯文。
1844年，英国学者罗林森将古波斯文本拓片全部完成，并独立地释读出《铭文》古波斯文本的全部内容。1845年8月，他把自己的研究成果从巴格达寄往伦敦《皇家亚洲学会杂志》，震动整个西方考古界。从此，古波斯文不再是人们眼中的天书了。通读“贝希斯敦铭文”之后，人们发现这是一篇波斯帝国国王大流士一世刻写的铭文。毫无疑问，浮雕上那位趾高气扬、高悬众人之上的波斯国王，正是大流士一世本人。
古波斯楔形文字的释读成功无疑使得释读《贝希斯敦铭文》中的其他两种楔形文字成为可能。其中的第二种是知名度不高的埃兰语，而第三种楔形文字的破译让人大为吃惊。爱尔兰著名语言学家爱德华·兴克斯通过与铭文古波斯文部分中出现的大量专有名词相对照，在1846年读出了第一个单词：人称代词“我”（anaku）。考虑到犹太人使用的希伯来语的“我”读作“anoki”，显然与其同源，兴克斯因此确信，第三种楔形文字——也就是亚述与巴比伦两大古国使用的语言（阿卡德语）是闪米特语的古老成员，与属于印欧语系的古波斯语截然不同。
不久，罗林森发表了“贝希斯敦铭文”的全部译文（1851年），包括三种楔形文字原文、音译、翻译和完整的符号表，这标志着阿卡德语的（基本）成功解读。
距离发现“贝希斯敦铭文”，这才过去短短几年时间。宛如天书一样的三种属于不同语言的楔形文字竟然如此顺利地得到了破解，即使在今天看来，这个速度也堪称神奇。因此在当时，许多学者仍对解读方法和由此取得的成果表示怀疑。其中最令当时的欧洲人不能理解的是阿卡德楔形文字“一字多音”和“一音多字”的特点（中国人对此倒是很容易理解）。
这场别开生面的的“考试”结果令持有怀疑态度的一方大跌眼镜。罗林森和兴克斯不愧志同道合的“战友”，两人的译文最为接近；欧佩尔特的译文与之稍有出入，但注释详尽；而塔尔博特的译文有些地方则比较含糊和不确切——这与他的“票友”身份相符。总的说来，四人的译文大同小异，殊途同归。如果说四个人都是在猜，这样的结果未免太巧了。所以这场离奇的“测试”常被人看作新兴的“亚述学”诞生的标志，证实了楔形文字破译的可靠性。