Gandj Nameh Unless otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes, but you have to acknowledge Livius.
	The waterfall near Gandj Nameh, at the end of a small valley near the ancient road between Ecbatana and Behistun, twelve kilometers southwest of modern Hamadan. To the left of the waterfall are two Achaemenid inscriptions, written in what Darius I the Great called the "Aryan script". The valley is lovely, with trees of common ash (locally known as "sparrow's tongue") and must have been an ancient picknicking place along the road.
	The two inscriptions near Gandj Nameh. Both are in three columns of 20 lines, and in three languages: Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian.
	Copy of Darius' inscription in the Hamadan Museum. Both texts are almost identical. They both begin with praise for the supreme god Ahuramazda, continue with the genealogy of the maker, and end with the royal titles. The text can be found here.
	Xerxes' inscription.
	Copy of Xerxes' inscription in the Hamadan Museum. The text can be found here.

source:

http://www.livius.org/a/iran/gandj_nameh/gandj_nameh.html

Gandj Nameh: Xerxes' text

Unless otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes, but you have to acknowledge Livius.

Xerxes' inscription at Gandj Nameh. Photo Marco Prins.

Near the waterfall of Gandj Nameh, at the end of a small valley near the ancient road between Ecbatana and Behistun, twelve kilometers southwest of modern Hamadan, are two Achaemenid inscriptions, by Darius I the Great and Xerxes. Both are in three columns of twenty lines, and in three languages: Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian. This is the text by Xerxes.

The texts are almost identical. Both begin with praise for the supreme god Ahuramazda, continue with the genealogy of the maker, and end with his royal titles. This is a copy of Xerxes' inscription and can be found in the Hamadan Museum.

Copy of Xerxes' inscription in the Hamadan Museum. Photo Marco Prins.

Persian texts and translation; first nine lines on the pictures above.

baga \ vazraka \ Auramazdâ \ hya \ mathišta \ bagânâm \ hya \ imâm \ bumim \ ad â \ hya \ avam \ asmânam \ adâ \ hya \ martiyam \ ad â \ hya \ šiyâtim \ adâ \ martiyahyâ \ hya \ Xša yâršâm \ xšâyathiyam \ akunauš \ aivam \ parun	A great god is Ahuramazda, who is the greatest god, who created this earth, who created yonder heaven, who created men, who created happiness for man, who made Xerxes king.
âm \ xšâyathiyam \ aivam \ parunâm \ framâtâram \ adam \ Xšayâršâ \ xšâ yathiya \ vazraka \ xšâyathi ya \ xšâyathiyânâm \ xš âyathiya \ dahyunâm \ par uzanânâm \ xšâyathiya \ ahiyâyâ \ bumiyâ \ va zrakâyâ \ duraiy \ apiy \ Dârayavahauš \ xšâyathiya hyâ \ puça \ Haxâmanišiya	One king for many, one lord for all. I am Xerxes, the great king, king of kings, king of countries containing all kinds of men, king in this great earth far and wide, son of king Darius, an Achaemenian

source:

http://www.livius.org/a/iran/gandj_nameh/gandj_nameh-xerxes.html

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