The inscription mentions the conquests of Darius the Great and his various achievements during his life. Its exact date is not known, but it can be assumed to be from the last decade of his reign.[6]
Like several other inscriptions by Darius, the territories controlled by the Achaemenid Empire are clearly listed.[7]
The nationalities mentioned in the DNa inscription are otherwise vividly illustrated through the large sculptural relief on the upper registers of all the tombs, including that of Darius I, at Naqsh-e Rostam.[4][5] One of the best preserved is that of Xerxes I.
Script
The inscription is written in the Old Persian cuneiform, a nearly alphabetical, simple form of the ancient cuneiform scripts (36 phonetic characters and 8 logograms), which was specially designed and used by the early Achaemenid rulers from the 6th century BCE.[8]
k-
x-
g-
c-
ç-
j-
t-
θ-
d-
p-
f-
b-
n-
m-
y-
v-
r-
l-
s-
z-
š-
h-
-(a)
𐎠
𐎣
𐎧
𐎥
𐎨
𐏂
𐎩
𐎫
𐎰
𐎭
𐎱
𐎳
𐎲
𐎴
𐎶
𐎹
𐎺
𐎼
𐎾
𐎿
𐏀
𐏁
𐏃
-i
𐎡
—
—
𐎪
𐎮
𐎷
𐎻
-u
𐎢
𐎤
𐎦
—
𐎬
𐎯
𐎵
𐎸
—
𐎽
Full inscription
The full inscriptions consists in two parts, the first one being related to a description of the lineage of Darius, as well as a list of the countries under his rule. The second part is more religious in nature and related to the cult of Ahuramazda.
Darius I Naqsh I Rustam inscription (DNa inscription)
English translation (Part I)
Transliteration
Original
(1) 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.
I am Darius the great king, king of kings, king of countries containing all kinds of men, king in this great earth far and wide, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenid, a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, having Aryan lineage.
(15) King Darius says: By the favor of Ahuramazda these are the countries which I seized outside of Persia; I ruled over them; they bore tribute to me; they did what was said to them by me; they held my law firmly; Media, Elam, Parthia, Aria,
(1) King Darius says: Ahuramazda, when he saw this earth in commotion, thereafter bestowed it upon me, made me king; I am king. By the favor of Ahuramazda I put it down in its place; what I said to them, that they did, as was my desire.
If now you shall think that "How many are the countries which King Darius held?" look at the sculptures [of those] who bear the throne, then shall you know, then shall it become known to you: the spear of a Persian man has gone forth far; then shall it become known to you: a Persian man has delivered battle far indeed from Persia.
(18) Darius the King says: This which has been done, all that by the will of Ahuramazda I did. Ahuramazda bore me aid, until I did the work. May Ahuramazda protect me from harm, and my royal house, and this land: this I pray of Ahuramazda, this may Ahuramazda give to me!
O man, that which is the command of Ahuramazda, let this not seem repugnant to you; do not leave the right path; do not rise in rebellion!
— DNa inscription of Darius I.[9][10][11]
θātiy Dārayavauš
xšāyaθiya Auramazdā yaθā
avaina : imām : būmim : yaudatim :
pasāvadim : manā : frābara : mām : xšāyaθiyam
akunauš adam xšāyaθiya
amiy vašnā Auramazdāhā adamšim
gāθavā niyašādayam tyašām
adam aθaham ava akunava yaθā mām
kāma āha yadipatiy maniyāhaiy tya
ciyakaram āha avā dahyāva
tyā Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya
adāraya patikarā dīdiy tyaiy gāθum
baratiy avadā xšnāsāhy :
adataiy azdā bavātiy Pārsahyā
martiyahyā dūraiy arštiš parāgmatā
adataiy azdā bavātiy
Pārsa martiya dūrayapiy hacā Pārsā
partaram patiyajatā θātiy Dārayavauš
xšāyaθiya aita tya kartam
ava visam vašnā Auramazdāhā akunavam
Auramazdāmaiy upastām abara
yātā kartam akunavam mām Auramazdā
pātuv hacā gastā utāmaiy
viθam utā imām dahyāum aita adam
Auramazdām jadiyāmiy aitamaiya
Auramazdā dadātuv
martiyā hyā Auramazdāhā
framānā hauvtaiy gastā
mā θadaya paθim
tyām rāstām mā
avarada mā stabava[10]
(last part of line) 𐎰𐎠𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎭
𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠 [𐏐 𐎹]𐎰/𐎠
𐏐 𐎠𐎺𐎡𐎴 𐏐 𐎡𐎶𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎲𐎢𐎷𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎹𐎢[𐎭𐎫𐎡𐎶 𐏐]
𐎱𐎿𐎠𐎺𐎮𐎡𐎶 𐏐 𐎶𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎳𐎼𐎠𐎲𐎼 𐏐 𐎶𐎠𐎶 [𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠/𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹𐎶
𐏐 𐎠𐎤𐎢𐎴𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎶 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠[𐎹𐎰]𐎡𐎹
𐏐 𐎠𐎷𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎺𐏁𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐏃[𐎠] 𐏐 𐎠/𐎭𐎶𐏁𐎡𐎶
𐏐 𐎥𐎠𐎰𐎺𐎠 𐏐 𐎴𐎡𐎹𐏁𐎠𐎭𐎹𐎶 [𐏐 𐎫𐎹]𐏁𐎠/𐎶
𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎰𐏃𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎺 𐏐 𐎠𐎤𐎢𐎴𐎺 𐏐 𐎹[𐎰𐎠 𐏐] 𐎶𐎠𐎶 𐏐
𐎣𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐏃 𐏐 𐎹𐎮𐎡𐎱𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎶𐎴𐎡𐎹[𐎠𐏃𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎫]/𐎹
𐏐 𐎨𐎡𐎹𐎣𐎼𐎶 𐏐 [𐎠𐏃 𐏐 𐎠]𐎺𐎠 𐏐 𐎭𐏃𐎹𐎠𐎺
𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹[𐎺]𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹[𐎰]𐎡𐎹
𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎫𐎡𐎣𐎼𐎠 𐏐 𐎮𐎡𐎮𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐎡[𐎹] 𐏐 𐎥/𐎠𐎰𐎢𐎶
𐏐 𐎲𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠[𐎺]𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎴𐎠𐎿𐎠𐏃𐎹 𐏐
𐎠𐎭𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐏀𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎲𐎺𐎠[𐎫]𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎠𐎼[𐎿]𐏃[𐎹𐎠 𐏐]
𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹𐏃𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎯𐎢𐎼𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎫[𐎡]𐏁 𐏐 𐎱/𐎼𐎠𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠
𐏐 𐎠𐎭𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐏀𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎲𐎺𐎠𐎫𐎡/𐎹
𐏐 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 𐏐 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎯𐎢𐎼𐎹𐎱𐎡𐎹 [𐏐 𐏃𐎨]𐎠 𐏐 𐎱𐎠/𐎼𐎿𐎠
𐏐 𐎱𐎼𐎫𐎼𐎶 𐏐 𐎱𐎫𐎡𐎹𐎩𐎫𐎠 𐏐 𐎰𐎠𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎭𐎠/𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁
𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎡𐎫 𐏐 𐎫[𐎹 𐏐] 𐎣𐎼𐎫/𐎶
𐏐 𐎠𐎺 𐏐 𐎻𐎡𐎿𐎶 𐏐 𐎺𐏁𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐏃𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎤/𐎢𐎴𐎺𐎶
𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠<𐎶>𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎢𐎱𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎲/𐎼
𐏐 𐎹𐎠𐎫𐎠 𐏐 𐎣𐎼𐎫𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎤𐎢𐎴[𐎺𐎶 𐏐 𐎶𐎠]𐎶 𐏐 𐎠/𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠
𐏐 𐎱𐎠𐎬𐎢𐎺 𐏐 𐏃𐎨𐎠 𐏐 𐎥[𐎿𐎫𐎠] 𐏐 𐎢𐎫𐎠𐎶/𐎡𐎹
𐏐 𐎻𐎡𐎰𐎶 𐏐 𐎢𐎫𐎠 𐏐 𐎡𐎶𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎭𐏃𐎹𐎠𐎢𐎶 𐏐 𐎠𐎡𐎫 𐏐 𐎠𐎭/𐎶
𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎩𐎮𐎡𐎹𐎠𐎷𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎠𐎡𐎫𐎶/𐎡𐎹
𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠 𐏐 𐎭𐎭𐎠𐎬𐎢𐎺 𐏐
𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎹𐎠 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠𐏃/𐎠
𐏐 𐎳𐎼𐎶𐎠𐎴𐎠 𐏐 𐏃𐎢𐎺𐎫𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎥𐎿/𐎫𐎠
𐏐 𐎶𐎠 𐏐 𐎰𐎭𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎰𐎡𐎶 𐏐
𐎫𐎹𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎼𐎠𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎶 𐏐 𐎶𐎠
𐏐 𐎠𐎺𐎼𐎭 𐏐 𐎶𐎠 𐏐 𐎿𐎫𐎲𐎺[10]
Specific country names
The DNa inscription records the various territories under the rule of Darius I.
^O'Brien, Patrick Karl (2002). Oxford Atlas of World History. Oxford University Press. pp. 42–43. ISBN9780195219210. Western portion of the Achaemenid Empire appears on page 42, eastern portion on page 43.
^Barraclough, Geoffrey (1989). The Times Atlas of World History. Times Books. p. 79. ISBN0723003041.
^O'Brien, Patrick (1999). Philip's Atlas of World History. George Philips Limited. pp. 42–43. ISBN0681031891.
^ a bThe Achaemenid Empire in South Asia and Recent Excavations in Akra in Northwest Pakistan Peter Magee, Cameron Petrie, Robert Knox, Farid Khan, Ken Thomas p.713-714
^ a bNAQŠ-E ROSTAM – Encyclopaedia Iranica.
^Orientalia Lovaniensia Periodica (in French). Instituut voor Oriëntalistiek. 1974. p. 23.
^Briant, Pierre (2002). From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire. Eisenbrauns. p. 173. ISBN9781575061207.
^Schmitt, R. (2008), "Old Persian", in Roger D. Woodard (ed.), The Ancient Languages of Asia and the Americas (illustrated ed.), Cambridge University Press, p. 77, ISBN978-0521684941
^ a bTolman, Herbert Cushing (1893). A guide to the Old Persian inscriptions. New York, Cincinnati [etc.] American book company. p. 146. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ a b c d e f"DNa - Livius". www.livius.org.
^ a bAlcock, Susan E.; Alcock, John H. D'Arms Collegiate Professor of Classical Archaeology and Classics and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Susan E.; D'Altroy, Terence N.; Morrison, Kathleen D.; Sinopoli, Carla M. (2001). Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History. Cambridge University Press. p. 105. ISBN9780521770200.