XPb

Achaemenid Royal Inscriptions: collection of Old Persian cuneiform texts from the sixth, fifth, and fourth centuries BCE, left by the Achaemenid kings on their official monuments.

The following Old Persian text can be found on the outer wall of the northern and eastern stairs of the Apadana at Persepolis. There are also Babylonian and Elamite translations.

  1. baga \ vazraka \ Auramazdâ
  2. \ hya \ imâm \ bûmim \
  3. adâ \ hya \ avam \ asmâ
  4. nam \ adâ \ hya \ martiya
  5. m \ adâ \ hya \ shiyâti
  6. m \ adâ \ martiyahyâ \
  7. hya \ Xšayâršâm \ xšâ
  8. yathiyam \ akunaush \ ai
  9. vam \ parûnâm \ xšâyath
  10. iyam \ aivam \ parûnâm
  11. \ framâtâram \ adam \ X
  12. shayârshâ \ xšâyathiya \
  13. vazraka \ xšâyathiya \ xsh
  14. âyathiyânâm \ xšâyath
  15. iya \ dahyûnâm \ paruv
  16. zanânâm \ xšâyathiya \
  17. ahiyâyâ \ bûmiyâ \
  18. vazrakâyâ \ dûraiy \ a
  19. piy \ Dârayavahaush \ xsh
  20. âiyathiyahyâ \ puça \ Hax
  21. âmanišiya \ thâtiy \ X
  22. shayârshâ \ xšâyathiya \
  23. vazraka \ tya \ manâ \ karta
  24. m \ idâ \ utâ \ tyamaiy
  25. \ apataram \ kartam \ ava \ v
  26. isam \ vashnâ \ Auramazdâ
  27. ha \ akunavam \ mâm \ Aura
  28. mazdâ \ pâtuv \ hadâ \ ba
  29. gaibish \ utâmaiy \ xshaça
  30. m \ utâ \ tyamaiy \ kartam
XPb, north stairs of the Apadana

A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Xerxes king, one king of all kings, one commander for all commanders.

I am Xerxes, the great king, the king of kings, the king of all countries, having all kinds of human beings, king in this earth far and wide, the son of king Darius, the Achaemenid.

The great king Xerxes says: What was done by me here, and was done by me farther off, I did by the grace of Ahuramazda. May Ahuramazda and the gods protect me, my kingdom, and what I did.

Literature