T H E M I D D L E PERSIAN I N S C R I P T I O N OF K A R T i R AT NAQS-I RAJAB by

RICHARD N. FRYE

Cambridge, Mass.

The MP inscription of the Zoroastrian leader Kartir on the rock at Naqg-i Rajab near Persepolis, has been known for over a century. Carved some ten feet above the ground, next to a probable representation of Kartir himself with a pointing finger, the inscription has withstood the ravages of time well in spite of a bush which periodically is removed yet grows again to threaten the stone. The recent publication of photographs of this inscription has led to the present publication? Unfortunately the photographs of the squeezes in the Corpus volume leave much to be desired. A curious failing of the photographs is the constant omission of traces of the letter -l- (lain) in almost every fine. For the present work [ have found the photo of Sprengling 2 and my paper squeeze made in 1948 superior to the Corpus photographs. The first copy of the inscription to be published in hand drawing without any translation was by Flandin and Coste? That old publication was still useful, especially to confirm the end of line 7: .HN .HTWN. Unfortunately the next word is completely obliterated. The end of the inscription of Kartir at Sar Maghad should have provided help in reading NRaj since lines 52 to 59 of Sar Maghad correspond to lines 8 to 30 in NRaj. It is rather the reverse, since NRaj is better preserved than SM. There are still several problems unsolved in NRaj and they have remained enigmas for me for more than a decade. But, rather than wait longer for possible clues to unclear readings, I decided to publish NRaj as I see it now. M y debt to other scholars who have worked on NRaj in the past is obvious. M y system of transcription, approximating New Persian, may please few colleagues, but I hope at least to have avoided
1 Corpus lnscriptionum Iranicarum, Part HI, vol. 2, Minor Inscriptions ofKartir, ed.

by W. B. Henning (London, 1963). M. Sprengling, Third Century Iran, Sapor and Kartir (Chicago, 1953), 65-9. 3 E. Flandin et P. Coste, Voyage en Perse, 4 (Paris, 1843), plate 190.

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RICHARD N. FRYE

too many l a p s u s in the reconstruction. Furthermore, philological notes have been omitted since each one could occupy another article, and the intention here is to give a full reading of the text. My differences from Sprengling and Herzfeld 4 should be apparent at once to anyone who compares the different versions.

THE MP FORMS OF THE SEMITIC IDEOGRAMS The inscription of Naqg-i Rajab is especially replete with problems of the reading of verbal masks. Generally speaking in MP the pure ideogram, without complement, has been considered as the 2 Sing. Imperative which is the present stem of the verb, or rarely the present participle. ~ tn the inscriptions, however, the situation is not so clear, and we must make other hypotheses. For example, in our inscription we have the following cases :6 1. 7 : .HN.HTW___.N,present or past Passive participle? 1. 17: 'yw YDeYTN, an optative, but how to read the ideogram? 1. 19: eZLWN and L M Y T N , the former with an Active and the latter a Passive sense, both referring to the future. 1.22: Y .HMTWN, possibly a present participle in a Passive sense (while Y .HMTWNt may be a past participle in an Active sense). 1.24: .HTYMWN, same as Y .I:IMTWN? Is there one roof under which we might bring all examples? I had considered the possibility of explaining each as a unified participle, both present and past, hence a verbal noun. The mere present stem was obviously insufficient as an interpretation, while a participial ending in - t , while it covered most cases, was also deficient, especially as it is liable to confusion with the third person singular. The above cases would then be read: 1, 1. 1. 1. 7 : 17: 19: 19: .HN.HTWN as n i h 'yw YDeYTN as eZLWN as g a y L M Y T N as a f k a n
- t. ~v d m r z t. t. t.

E. Herzfeld, Paikuli, 1 (Berlin, 1924), 90-2. 5 See the briefest exposition in H. S. Nyberg, Hilfsbuch 1928), 10. The verb 'to be', as usual, presents special problems.

des Pehlevi,

1 (Uppsala,

THE MIDDLE PERSIAN INSCRIPTION OF KARTIR AT NAQ~-I RAJAB 213 1. 22: Y . H M T W N as ras - t. 1 . 2 4 : . H T Y M W N as h a m b a ~ -

t.

After the manuscript o f this article was completed, 1 came u p o n an article by S. N. Sokolov, which suggested that the pure Semitic m a s k should be read as a verbal n o u n in -n derived f r o m an Old Iranian substantive of action in -na. 7 This was a tempting solution, to read all naked verbal masks as forms in -n. A n u m b e r o f problems arise, including one under o u r eyes. N R a j line 17 Y D e Y T N is rendered in the same text in Sar Ma~had 1. 55 by y D e Y T N d . Unfortunately b o t h Active and Passive voices, and present and past tenses are represented in various contexts of the naked verbal masks. M u c h m o r e w o r k needs to be done, based on a study o f all verbal masks in all inscriptions. This should be combined with a further study o f the so-called ergative construction in m o d e m Iranian languages. KARTIR NAQ~-I RAJAB INSCRIPTION8 t - W ' N H krtyr B Y N ~tly P W N l'sty.hy p.hlmty 9 u m a n kartir andar ~ahr ba rSstih p a h r o m t i A n d I Kartir in the kingdom in rectitude most eminent .HWHm W y z d ' n h a m u yazdfin am, and (to) the gods 2 - W MRe.ITIYn .hwplst'y W .hwk'mky Y.ITIWWN u hwatfiyan hufrast~ u h u k ~ m a k bflt and lords (of) good-service and well-wishing I have I.-IW_Hm 'Pro eL y z d ' n lwny .HN'6 h a m u - m 6 yazd~m rSn 6-~ been. A n d by m e to the gods' side this too 7 s. N. Sokolov, "Opisatelnye oboroty i glagolnye geterogrammy v sasanidskikh nadpisyakh", Vestnik Leningradskogo Universiteta, 8 (1957), 96-100. See also his "Glagolnye imena i vozniknovenie srednepersidskogo kauzativa", Sbornik v ~est' L A. Orbeli (Moscow, 1960), 441-4. Cf. my article "A Brief Note on the Psalter and Bare Ideograms", Unvala Memorial Volume (Bombay, 1965). 8 The transcription approximates a late MP pronunciation. Conjectural _letters are underlined, and additions are in parentheses. 9 p.hlmty is odd. Sprengling, p. 65, readsp.hlmy.hy and inserts a W before it, to parallel l'styby. It would seem we have here an adjective with an unl~nown ending. I suggest two possibilities of explaining the ending, either an elative ending in -t (as in Sogdian), or a superlative in -t because of the preceding -vm-.

214 3

RICHARD N. FRYE - 'wgwn ptw.hyt ' Y K .HT 'yw b'ly 1~ y z d ' n 6g6n padvah~d kO agar 6v bar e yazdan

thus was implored that if help with the of the gods

'NIzI k_rtyr_ P W N z y n d k ' n P W N m a n kartir ba zindakan ba

I Kartir by the living in

4 - 'gl'dy.hy p ' t k ' s y k r t y .HWHm ' w g w n m 11 agrayih pfidkas kart h a m 6g6n-m

splendour am made to appear, thus by me

plwn~ eL wtlt'n lwny w.hy~ty par6n-~ 5 vitartan r6n vahi~t

forth to the departed side, (both) heaven

5 - W dw~.hwy ~.hlky1~ M.HWH. yt 1~ eL Z N H ~ u d6~ah TM ~ahrak abd~s~d 6 ~n-~

and hell, the way (will be) made known. Further

kltkn l'dy ~ygwn B Y N ~tly klyty L Z N H ~ kartakan ray ~igSn andar ~ahr kired im-~

regarding those deeds which in the kingdom were made, then

6 - l'dy plwny M H gwnky H.W H Z K m M . H W H y t ray p a r 6 n ~e g6nak hast (or h~) anarrt abdesed

for them (on this) side, whatever kind (may) be, that (will be) made known by me.
'wgwn 14 M D M wst'.hwtly Y .HWWN W Z K 6g6n bar vistahwtar bayed u an

Thus (it) will become more reliable. And that

7 - 'wgwn ~ygwn L Y eL y z d ' n lwny ptw.hyt 5g6n ~ig6n m a n 5 yazdan r6n p a d v a h e d

in such a manner by me to the gods' side was implored. ~o 'yw b'ly is troublesome. I thought of aywdr 'helper', but the contexts of the
phrase in Paikuli rule against this interpretation. 11 For 'wgwnm, one might read 'YDYNm, since the traces of -wgw- are unclear. Sprengling put a suffixed -~ on this word instead of the next. a~ Note the form dOlky for ~'lky (as in Sar Maw line 52) NP ddre. I believe this is better than an interpretation dihre 'essence'. ~ I interpret M.I-.tW.Hytas a defective Semitic mask from Aramaic .HWH (Arabic why), of the passive form of MP "bdyStn, pres. -'bdys-, 'to show, teach'. Other suggestions may be found in Sprengling, p. 68. ~ Again for 'wgwn, one might read 'YDYN, as in line 4. A remoter possibility is 'ytwn, but Sprengling's YHWWN is impossible.

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215

'Pro _ny~'n 15 .HN.HTWN (KEN) ~ygwnm~1~ u-m nizam nihad (nan) ~igOnama~ Then by me a sign is put (so) as by me it (the sign) 8 - w.hy~ty W dw~.hwy ~L Z N H krtkn '_lt'dy.hy vahi~t u d6~ah w 6 ~n kartak~n ard~yih , heaven and hell, regarding those deeds (of) rectitude W dlwndy.hy 5.hlky u druvandih ~ahrak and deceit the way 9 - M.HW.Hyt BR'm '.HR .HT 'yw b'ly yzd'n abdSsSd bS-m pas agar 5v bgr e yazdfin (will be) shown. Then by me i f with the help of the gods ZNH6 CBW eL wtlt'n 5n5 hir 6 vitartfin this matter to the departed l0 - lwny Z N H 'wgwn M .HW.Hyt 'DYN yzd'n r6n 5n 6g6n abdSsSd aig yazd~n side in this such a manner is made known. Then (to) the gods KBYR .hwplst'tly W .hwk'mktly vas hufrastfitar u huk~tmaktar much more good serviced and more good willed
11 -

Y.HWWN .HWHm W PWN NPgH5 lwb'n bfit ham u ba hwSg-i5 rubfin have I become. And in my own soul l'tytly W l'stytly Y.HWWN rfiditar u r~stitar bfit more pious and upright I have

12 - .HWHm W M D M ZNH5 ygty W kltkn ham u bar fin5 yagt u kartakfin become. And on those sacrifice(s) and deeds Z _ Y _ YBYN gtly kylyt _KBYR andar gahr kirSd vas which in the kingdom were done much
1~ I prefer the reading 'Pro nyi'n to M D M ZY~'n. ~ After the verb .t-_IN.I-.tWTN nothing can be seen until -wnmg. There is r o o m for three or four letters after the verb and KeN is complete conjecture.

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RICHARD N. FRYE

1 3 - wst'.hwtly YI.~WWN .HWHm W MNW ZNH n'mky vistfhwtar bat ham u ke en nfmak more reliable have I become. And whoever this writing H.ZYTNt did (or venfd) (may) see 1 4 - W ptpwls't ZK PWN yzd'n W MRC.HYn u padpursfd fin ba yazdfn u hwatfy~m and examine, that one to the gods and lords W NP~H lwb'n l'ty u hwe~ rubfn rfd and (to) his own soul may he 1 5 - W l'sty 'yw YH.WWN W MDM.h ZNH y~ty W u rfst ev bavfd u bar-i~ en ya~t u be pious and upright. And moreover (in) these sacrifice(s) krtk_n W dyny mzdysn kartakfn u den (e) mazdesn and deeds and mazdayasnian religion 1 6 - MH KeN PWN zyndk'n kylyt wst'.hwtly ~e nfin ba zindakfn kYred vistfhwtar which now by the living were done may he be 'yw Y.HWWN W plwny ev bavfid u par6n more reliable. And the other side 1 7 - MNDcM ny .hl plm'nk'lm 'yw Y.HWWN MH ~i~ ne har framfnkfr ev bavfd ~e matter may be not (for) every commander(?), What w~lty 'yw YDcYTN 'YK vi~art ev fm6z~d exists he may apprehend: that xs 'YTY W MNW 1 8 - w.hy~ty 'YTY W dwsl.awy vahi~t hast u d6~ah w hast u ke heaven exists and hell exists and whoever
1T The b o t t o n of the -k- in plm'nk'l is all that is visible o f the letter. Otherwlse a reading plm'nd'l might be preferable. The sense is unclear. as The form dws.hwyis clear, but read dwg.hwy.

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217

klpkly ZK pl'~ eL w.hygty kirpakar an fra~ 6 vahigt (is) a doer of good that one up to heaven 1 9 - eZLWN W MNW b~kly ZK eL dwg.hwy gavad u k~ ba~akar an 6 d6gahw (may) he go and whoever is a doer of evil, that one into hell LMYTN W MNW klpkly .HWH W MDM afkanad u k~ kirpakar hast (or h~) u bar (may he) be thrown. And whoever is a doer of good and has embarked on 2 0 - klpky TBW SGYTNt eLH LZNH 'stwndy kirpak (~) n~k raft 6y im astavand fine good deeds he (in) this corporeal tny .hwslby.hy W 'p'ty.hy tan husravih u ~p~dih body fame and good luck 'stwndy lwb'n 'lt'dy.hy 2 1 - Y .HMTWNt 'P~ ~ rased u-~ 6y astavand ruben ard~yih has reached. And he (in) the corporeal soul has reached MDM Y .HMTWNt bar rased rectitude 2 2 - ~ygwa LY krtyr Y .HMTWN 'Pro ZNH n'mky ~ig6n man kartir rasad u-m ~n nftmak as by me, Kartir it is attained. And by me this inscription L .HN'~ l'dy npgty 'YK z-~ r~ty nipi~t kfi therefore was written so." 2 3 - MH LY krtyr MN KZY 'wlwny MN ~ man kartir az has 6 r6n az whatever (for) me Kartir from of yore by the ~tldr'n W MRe.HYn KBYR 'twr'n ~ahrd~r~n u hwat~y~n vas adur~n governors and lords many fires

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24-

RICHARD N. FRYE

W m g w n y G T y 19 p't.hgtly H.T Y M W N ' P m u m a g u v g n nip~ patihgahr h a m b a g a d u - m

and magi (in) writings (and imperial) rescripts is recorded. And by me

K B Y R N P ~ H ~ M gyw'ky.hy2~ vas h w ~ n a m n~vakih

often the glory of my own name

25M D M G T y ~1 p'thgtly W m ' t ' n Y K T Y B W N b a r nip~ p~tihgahr u m ~ d a n nipigt

on writings (and imperial) rescripts and documents was

Y K e Y M W N t ' Y K M N W pl'stly~ ~stgtd I(Q k~ frgstar

written that: whoever (in) the more future

26cDN' p't.hgtly m ' t g d ' n 'ywp G T k y 'ywp z a m g n p~tih~ahr m~diy~n ayftb n i p e k ayftb

time (imperial) rescripts, documents or writings or

'.HRN n ' m k y .I:IZYTNt Z K ~n n ~ m a k did (or venad) ~n

other record(s) (may) see that one

27Y D c Y T N t ' Y K ' N H Z K krtyr .HWHm Z Y ~mSht 2z (or ~mSzad) kG m a n ~n kartir h a m e

(may) know that I am that Kartir who (under)

19 I take GTy as a Semitic mask rather than as a Semitic borrowing into Iranian. My main reason is the existence of GTky in line 26, hardly a mistake since the two forms occur in the Kaebah Kartir inscription line 16 (GTky) and Sar Ma~had line 57 (GTky). Therefore, I would propose a MP form nip~ for GTy and nipgk for GTky. Compare Fr. PahL XV, 3, GSeT' = npyk'n, which is most uncertain. (Furthermore, I have not found gty attested in any Iranian language. Armenian ktak, 'testament', cannot be used as evidence for a borrowing from Iranian because of the suffix -ak, since Armenian adds its own sufftx -ak to non-Iranian words, e.g. tetrak 'note book' from Greek xrxpa~). 20 For gyw'ky.hy o r gyw'ky~y an emendation to nyw'ky.hy is regretfully made. 21 See note 19. 22 Forpl'stly (also in the Kaebah inscription of Kartir, line 16) we find in Sar Ma~had, line 57, pl'dly. 2a On the reading amr.htan 'to learn', rather than dffnistan 'to know', for YDeYTN, compare the MP Psalter, ed. K. Barr, p. 43, where the Hebrew original text has the same verb which may be interpreted "to learn." An alternate explanation would be

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219

~.hpw.hry M L K ' n M L K ' krtyr Z Y ~ h p u h r ~ h ~ n ~ h kartir 5

Shapur King of Kings Kartir the

28m g w p t W 'yl.arpt ~ M klty H W H m W m a g o p a d u ~hrpad n a m kart h a m u

mobad and herbad was named And

'wh.rmzdy M L K ' n M L K ' W wl.hl'n M L K ' n 6hrmizd ~ h ~ n ~th u varahrfin ~ h f i n

(under) Hormizd King of Kings and Bahrain King

29M L K ' Z Y sh.pw.hrkn krtyr Z Y 'w.hrmzdy w 5 ~ h p u h r a k ~ n kartir 6 6hrmizd

of Kings son of Shapur was named Kartir who is Ahuramazdam g w p t SM klty .HWHm W wl.hl'n m a g o p a d n~trn kart h a m u varahffm

mobad
30-

And (under) Bahrain (King)

M L K ' n 24 Z Y wl.hl'nkn krtyr Z Y bw.htlwb'n ~h~tn ~ varahr~nakfin kartir ~ buhtruv~n

of Kings son of Bahrain Kartir the soul savior

wl.hl'n eL2~ 'w.hrmzdy m g w p t SM klty varahr~n 6 6hrmizd m a g o p a d nfim kart

of Bahrain (son) and Ahuramazda-mobad was named.

31.HWHm np~ty bw.htky dpyr ... krtyr Z Y h a m nipigt bfihtak dipir kartir

Written (by) Bokhtak the scribe (of)

MRe .HY hwat~y

Kartir the lord.

that YD~YTN in N. Raj. and in the Psalter is the mask for dSnistan, whereas in Paiknli and elsewhere HWYTWN is the mask for dSnistan. I have found the Semitic mask YDeYTNin the following places (MP only): Kartir KZ, line 3, YDeYTN'y,2 S. Opt. ?; line 17, YDeYTNt, 3 S. Pres. (or Past?); Sar Ma~had 1. 55 YDcYTNd = N. Raj. 17 YDcYTN; Paikuli C 2, 2, YDcYTNd3 P. Pres., and twice in the Psalter. 34 After MLK'n the word MLK' obviously should be supplied. 25 The eL after wl.hl'nis uncertain. In Sar Ma~had and the Kaebah inscription we have ZYbut the traces here rather suggest eL since the L is clear. Perhaps it is a lapsus for W.

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RICHARD N. FRYE C O N C O R D A N C E A N D G L O S S A R Y ~6

'DYN, aig < aya?, 'then, so', 10 'gl'dy.hy, agrdyih, 'splendour', 4 'H.R, pas, 'then', 9 'HRN, an, 'other, another', 26 'lt'dy.hy, arddyfh, 'rectitude', 8, 21 'NH, man (*az) T, 1, 3, 27 (cf. LY, 22, 23; and -m enclitic) 'p'ty.hy, apdd~h, 'good luck', 20 'Pro, u-m, 'and I', 2, 7, 22, 24 'Pg, u-L 'and he', 21 'stwndy, astavand, 'corporeal', 20, 21 'twr'n, adur6n, 'fires', 23 'wgwn, 6g6n, 'thus, in such a manner', 3, 6, 7, 10 'wgwnm, 'thus by me', 4 'wlwny, 6 r6n (avar6n), 'that side, previously', 23 'w.hrmzdy, 6hrmizd, 'Ahuramazda, Hormizd', 28, 29, 30 'y.hrpt, ~hrpad, 'herbad', 28 'YK, k~, 'that, thus', 3, 17, 22, 25, 27 'YTY, hast, 'exists', 18 bis 'yw, ~v, 'optative part.', 3, 9, 15, 16, 17 his 'ywp, ay~b, 'or', 26 bis b'ly, bdr ~, 'help', 3, 9 bEkly, ba?akar, 'doer of evil', 19 BR'm, b~-rn, 'but, then by me', 9 bw.htky, bahtak, 'Bokhtak', 31 bw.htlwb'n, buhtruvdn, 'soul savior', 30 BYN, andar, 'in, by', 1, 5, 12 ~BW, for .SBW, h~r, 'matter, thing', 9 ~hlky, ~ahrak, 'means, way', 5, 8 ~ygwn, ~ig6n, 'which, as', 5, 7, 22 ~ygwnm~, ~ig6n - am - aL 'as-by-me-it', 7 (conjectural) dlwndy.hy, druvandih, 'deceit', 8 dpyr, dipfr, 'scribe', 31 dwg.hwy, d6gahw, 'hell', 5, 8, 18, 19 dyny, d(n, 'religion', 15 26 The numbers refer to the lines of the inscription.

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221

GTky, nip(k, 'writing(s)', 26 GTy, nip(, 'writing(s)', 24, 25 gwnky, grnak, 'kind, manner', 6 gyw'ky.hy, see nyw'ky.hy

1.al, hat, 'each, every', 17 .HN'6, ( - C 'this also', 2 .HN .HTWN, nihad, 'is put, putting', or 'let be put', 7 (here an optative sense may be needed) H.T, agar, 'if', 3, 9 .HTYMWN, hamba~ad, 'seals, is recorded', 24 .HWH, hast, or h(, 'is, exists', 6, 19 (an optative may be needed) .HWHm, ham, 'I am', I, 2, 4, 27, 28, 29; or with Y .HWWN, bat ham, 'I have been, become', 11, 12, 13, and with krty, kart ham 'was done', 31 .hwk'mky, huk~mak, 'well-wishing', 2 .hwk'mktly, hukdmaktar 'more good-willed', 10 hwplst'y, huparastd, hufrasta, 'good-service, obedient', 2 .hwplst'tly, huparastatar, (hufrastatar), 'more obedient', 10 .hwslby.hy, husrav~h, 'fame', 20 HZYTNt, dfdor v(ndd, 'saw, may see', 13, 26 (an optative is assumed here rather than a past tense because of the sense)
KBYR, vas, 'much, many, often, great', 10, 12, 23, 24 klpkly, Icirpakar, 'doer of good', 18, 19 klpky, kirpak, 'good deed(s)', 20 kltkn, kartakan, 'actions, deeds', 5, 8, 12, 15 klty, kart, 'made', 28, 29, 30 klyty, k~r(d, 'were made, done', 5; see Sprengling, 68 kylyt, k~r(d, 'were made, done', 12, 16; see klyty krty, kart, 'made', 4 krtyr, 'Kartir', 1, 3, 22, 23, 27 bis, 29, 30, 31 KZY, has, 'yore, earlier', 23 KeN, nan, 'now, so', 7 (conjectural), 16 l'dy, rdy, 'regarding, for', 5, 6, 22 l'sty, rdst, 'upright', 15 l'sty.hy, rdst~h, 'truth, rectitude', 1 l'stytly, rc~st~tar, 'more upright', 11 l'ty, rdd, 'pious', 14 l'tytly, rdditar, 'more pious', 11 L.HN'~, z-(-C 'therefore', 22

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RICHARD N. FRYE

LMYTN, a[kanad, 'throws, is thrown', 19 (here possibly used as an optative because of the sense) lwb'n rubcin, 'soul', 11, 14, 21 lwny, r6n, 'side', 2, 4, 7, 10 LY, man, 'me, by me', 7, 22, 23 LZNH, ira, 'this', 20 LZNH6, irn-?, 'this, then, those', 5 m't'n, mdddn, 'documents', 25 m'tgd'n, m~diy~n, 'documents', 26 MDM, bar, 'on, above', 6, 12, 19, 21, 25 MDM.h, bar-id, 'moreover', 15 (read -~ for -.h) mgwny, maguv~n, 'magi', 24 mgwpt, magopad, 'mobad', 28, 29, 30 MH, d~, 'what(ever)', 6, 16, 17, 23 M.HW.Hyt, abd~sOd, 'is made known', 5, 6, 9, 10 MLK'n MLK', ~dhdn gdh, 'king of kings', 27, 28, 29, 30 (MLK' has fallen out in 30) MN, az, 'from', 23 bis MND~ gi~, 'thing, matter', 17 MNW, k~, 'who(ever)', 13, 18, 19 his, 25 MRe.HY, hwaMy, 'lord', 31 MRe.HYn, hwatdydn, 'lords', 2, 14, 23 mzdysn, mazd~sn, 'mazdayasnian', 15 n'mky, ndmak, 'record, writing, letter', 13, 22, 26 NP~H, hw~g, 'self, own', 14, 24 NP~H~, hw~-ic, 'very own', 11 np~ty, nipigt, 'was written', 22, 31 (see YKTYBWN) ny, nY, 'negative particle', 17 ny~'n, n~gdn, 'sign', 7 nyw'ky.hy, n~vaMh, 'glory, goodness', 24, for gyw'ky.h(or ?)y p't.hgtly, pt~tihgahr, '(imperial) rescript, deed', 24, 25, 26 p'tk'sy, pddkds, 'appearance, look, sight', 4 p.hlmty, pahromti, 'most eminent, excellent', 1 pl'~, frd~, 'forward, up', 18 pl'stly, frdstar, 'future, more forward?' 25 plm'nk'l, framdnkdr, 'commander, or command receiver?', 17 plwn~, parOn-(, 'aside, forth', 4 plwny, parOn, 'side, aside', 6, 16

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223

ptpwls't, padpursdd, 'may he examine', 14 ptwhyt, padvah~d, 'was implored', 3, 7 PWN, pati > pad ~ ba, 'in, to, by, etc.', 1, 3 bis, ll, 14, 16 SGYTNt, raft, 'went, has embarked', 20 g.hpw.hrkn, ~dhpuhrakdn, 'son of Shapur', 29 ~hpw.hry, gahpuhr, 'Shapur', 27 ~M, ndm, 'name', 24, 28, 29, 30 gfldr'n, gahrdardn, 'governors', 23 ~tly, 5ahr, 'kingdom > city', 1, 5, 12 TBW, for TBW n~k, 'fine, excellent', 20 tny, tan, 'body', 20

W, uta ~ ud ~ u, passim, 34 times (see 'P) w~lty, vi~art, 'to exist, be known, true', 17 w.hy~ty, vahi~t, 'heaven', 4, 8, 18 bis wl.hl'n, varahrdn, 'Bahram', 28, 29, 30 wl.hl'nkn, varahrdnakan, 'son of Bahram', 30 wst'.hwtly, vistdhWtar, 'more reliable, firm,' 6, 13, 16 wtlt'n, vitart6n, 'the departed, passed', 4, 9
YDeYTN, dmrzdd, 'apprehends, may know (opt.)', 17 YDeYTNt, dmrht or dmrzdd, 'learned, or may know', 27 (because of the sense an optative may be assumed here) Y .HMTWN, rasad, 'reaches, or is attained', 22 Y.HMTWNt, rased, 'he has reached', 21 bis Y .HWWN, bfttan, bay-, 'to be', 6, 15, 16, 17; or with -ham 'have been, become', 2, 11 his, 13 YKeYMWNt, Ystdd, 'it stood' (here aux. 'was'), 25 YKTYBWN, nipigt, 'written', 25 ygty, ya~t, 'sacrifice, prayer', 12, 15 yzd'n, yazddn, 'gods', 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 14 ZK, an, 'that, those', 6, 14, 18, 19, 26, 27 ZKm, an-am, 'those by me', 6 ZNH, gn, 'this', 8, 10, 13, 15, 22 ZNHr, ~n-g, 'this (then), further', 5, 9, 12 ZY, ~, 'which, who, izafet', 12, 27 bis, 29 bis, 30 bis, 31 zyndk'n, z~ndak6n, 'the living', 3, t6 eDN', zamdn, 'time', 26

224

RICHARD N. FRYE

eL, 6, 'to, towards', 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 18, 19 (in line 30 this may be a mistake for ZY or W) eLH, 6y, 'he', 20, 21 eZLWN, ,favad, 'goes, is gone', 19 (here perhaps used as an optative because of the sense)

F R E E ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE INSCRIPTION OF KARTIR AT

NAQSH-I RAJAB

I Kartir am most eminent in rectitude in the kingdom, and I have been of good service and good will towards the gods and lords. This too I implored the gods that if I were made to appear in splendour among the living, with the help of the gods, then I would forthwith make known the way (of life) until death, both (the way to) heaven and hell. Furthermore, the deeds which were done in the kingdom, whatever kinds they were, I will make known. Thus they will become of greater significance. For whatever in such a manner I implored to the gods I establish(ed) a record, such that by it I make known the path to heaven or hell, regarding deeds of rectitude and deceit. So if I make known this matter, with the help of the gods, regarding the way (of life) until death, then I have become of much more good service and will towards the gods. And for my own soul I have become more pious and upright. I have become more reliable in the rites and rituals which are to be done in the kingdom. Whoever may see and examine this writing, let him be pious and upright for the gods and lords, and for his own soul. Moreover, let him be stronger in the rites and rituals, and in the Mazdayasnian religion, to be performed by the living. The matter of death may not be known to every obedient soul (commander?). But what is apparent may be known, that heaven exists and hell exists, and whoever is a doer of good, let him go to heaven, and whoever is a doer of evil, let him be thrown into hell. Whoever is a doer of good and has embarked on fine good deeds, he will attain (has reached) fame and good luck in this corporeal body. His corporeal soul will attain the state of rectitude, just as I Kartir attain it. This inscription was written by me thus: whatever of many fires and magi (were established) for me of yore by governors and lords, is recorded in writings and imperial rescripts. The great goodness of my own name was written often in writings, imperial rescripts and documents, such that whoever in the future sees the writings, imperial rescripts or documents, or other inscriptions, he will know that I am that

THE MIDDLE PERSIAN INSCRIPTIONOF KARTIRAT NAQS-I RAJAB 225 Kartir who was called Kartir the m o b a d and herbad under Shahanshah Shapur, and under Shahanshah Hormizd and Shahanshah Bahrain, son of Shapur, was called Kartir the Ohrmizd-mobad. (I was) called Kartir the soul-saviour of Bahrain and Ohrmizd-mobad under Shahanshah Bahrain son of Bahrain. Written by Bokhtak the scribe of Kartir the Lord.