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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1At any rate, it is evident from the Bundahis that a Christian is treading on hazardous ground when he objects to Zoroastrianism on the score of its dualism. Another misrepresentation of the Parsi religion is shown to have no foundation in fact, by a passage in the Selections of ZAd-sparam. \Several writers, both Greek and Armenian, contemporaries of the Sasanian dynasty, represent the Persians as believing that both Adharmazd and Aharman were produced by an eternal being, who is evidently a personification of the Avesta phrase for ‘boundless time.’ This view was apparently confirmed by a passage in Anquetil Duperron’s French translation of the Vendidad (XIX, 32-34), but this has long been known to be a mistranslation due to Anquetil’s ignorance of Avesta grammar ;\ So that the supposed doctrine of ‘boundless time’ being the originator of everything is not to be found in the Avesta; still it might have sprung up in Sasanian times.; But the Selections of Z4d-sparam (I, 24) distinctly state that Adharmazd produced the creature Zérvan (precisely the term used in the phrase ‘ boundless time’ in the Avesta). Here ‘time, although personified, is represented as a creature of Adharmazd, produced after the first appearance of Aharman ; which contradicts the statement of the Greek and Armenian writers completely, and shows how little reliance can be placed upon the assertions of foreigners regarding matters which they view with antipathy or prejudice. With reference to the general plan of these translations of Pahlavi texts a few remarks seem necessary. In the first place, it will be obvious to any attentive reader of this introduction that a translator of Pahlavi has not merely to translate, but also to edit, the original text; and, in some _ - INTRODUCTION. xxi cases, he has even to discover it. Next, as regards the translation, it has been already mentioned (p. xxvi) that the translator’s object is to make it as literal as possible ; in order, therefore, to check the inevitable tendency of free translation to wander from the meaning of the original text, all extra words added to complete the sense, unless most distinctly understood in the original, are italicised in the translation. And in all cases that seem doubtful the reader's attention is called to the fact by a note, though it is possible that some doubtful matters may be overlooked.
2And in all cases that seem doubtful the reader's attention is called to the fact by a note, though it is possible that some doubtful matters may be overlooked. The notes deal not only with explanations that may be necessary for the general reader, but also with various readings and other details that may be useful to scholars; they are, therefore, very numerous, though some passages may still be left without sufficient explanation. References to the Vendidad, Yasna, and Visparad are made to Spiegel’s edition of the original texts, not because that edition is superior, or even equal, in accuracy to that of Westergaard, but because it is the only edition which gives the Pahlavi translations, because its sections are shorter and, therefore, reference to them is more definite, and because the only English translation of the Avesta hitherto existing! is based upon Spiegel’s edition, and is divided into the same sections. No attempt has been made to trace any of the myths or traditions farther back than the Avesta, whence their descent is a fact that can hardly be disputed. To trace them back to earlier times, to a supposed Indo-Iranian personification or poetic distortion of meteorological phenomena, would be, in the present state of our knowledge, merely substituting plausible guesses for ascertained facts. In many cases, indeed, we have really no right to assume that an Avesta myth has descended from any such Indo- Iranian origin, as there have been ample opportunities for the infiltration of myths from other sources, yet unknown, 1 Bleeck’s Avesta; the Religious Books of the Parsees; from Professor Spiegel’s German Translation; London, 1864. Not much reliance can be placed upon the correctness of this translation, owing to defects in the German one, Ixxii PAHLAVI TEXTS. among the many nations with which the religion of the Avesta has come in contact, both before and since the time of Zaratist. For, notwithstanding the ingenious rhetoric of the expounders of myths, it is still as unsafe, from a scientific point of view, to disbelieve the former existence of Zaratist as it is to doubt that of Moses, or any other practically prehistoric personage, merely because mythic tales have gathered about his name in later times, as they always do about the memory of any individual who has become famous or revered.
3In many cases the original Pahlavi word is appended, in parentheses, to its English equivalent in the translation. This has been done for the sake of explanation, when the word is technical or rare, or the translation is unusual. For, with regard to technical terms, it has been considered best, in nearly all cases, to translate them by some explanatory phrase, in preference to filling the translation with foreign words which would convey little or no distinct meaning to the general reader. Some of these technical terms have almost exact equivalents in English, such as those translated ‘resurrection’ and ‘demon,’ or can be well expressed by descriptive phrases, such as ‘sacred twigs’ and ‘sacred cakes.’ Other terms are only approximately rendered by such words as ‘archangel’ and ‘angel ;’ others can hardly be expressed at all times by the same English words, but must change according to the context, such as the term variously rendered by ‘worship, ceremonial, prayer, or rites. While the meaning of some few terms is so technical, complicated, or uncertain, that it is safer to use the Pahlavi word itself, such as Tandpdhar, Frasast, Gétikharid, Dvazdah-hémast, &c. The following is a list of nearly all the technical terms that have been translated, with the English equivalents generally used to express them :—Afrin, ‘blessing;’? aharmdk, ‘apostate, heretic ;’ aharQbé, ‘righteous ;’ aharibd-d4d, ‘alms, almsgiving;’ akdin6, ‘infidel;’ ameshéspend, ‘archangel ;’ armést, ‘helpless ;? ast-hémand, ‘ material;’ atiséfrid, ‘ propitiation, offering ;’ bagh6é-bakht6, ‘divine providence ;’ baresém, ‘sacred twigs or twig-bundle;’ EE INTRODUCTION. I xxiii
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1At any rate, it is evident from the Bundahis that a Christian is treading on hazardous ground when he objects to Zoroastrianism on the score of its dualism. Another misrepresentation of the Parsi religion is shown to have no foundation in fact, by a passage in the Selections of ZAd-sparam. \Several writers, both Greek and Armenian, contemporaries of the Sasanian dynasty, represent the Persians as believing that both Adharmazd and Aharman were produced by an eternal being, who is evidently a personification of the Avesta phrase for ‘boundless time.’ This view was apparently confirmed by a passage in Anquetil Duperron’s French translation of the Vendidad (XIX, 32-34), but this has long been known to be a mistranslation due to Anquetil’s ignorance of Avesta grammar ;\ So that the supposed doctrine of ‘boundless time’ being the originator of everything is not to be found in the Avesta; still it might have sprung up in Sasanian times.; But the Selections of Z4d-sparam (I, 24) distinctly state that Adharmazd produced the creature Zérvan (precisely the term used in the phrase ‘ boundless time’ in the Avesta). Here ‘time, although personified, is represented as a creature of Adharmazd, produced after the first appearance of Aharman ; which contradicts the statement of the Greek and Armenian writers completely, and shows how little reliance can be placed upon the assertions of foreigners regarding matters which they view with antipathy or prejudice. With reference to the general plan of these translations of Pahlavi texts a few remarks seem necessary. In the first place, it will be obvious to any attentive reader of this introduction that a translator of Pahlavi has not merely to translate, but also to edit, the original text; and, in some _ - INTRODUCTION. xxi cases, he has even to discover it. Next, as regards the translation, it has been already mentioned (p. xxvi) that the translator’s object is to make it as literal as possible ; in order, therefore, to check the inevitable tendency of free translation to wander from the meaning of the original text, all extra words added to complete the sense, unless most distinctly understood in the original, are italicised in the translation. And in all cases that seem doubtful the reader's attention is called to the fact by a note, though it is possible that some doubtful matters may be overlooked.
2And in all cases that seem doubtful the reader's attention is called to the fact by a note, though it is possible that some doubtful matters may be overlooked. The notes deal not only with explanations that may be necessary for the general reader, but also with various readings and other details that may be useful to scholars; they are, therefore, very numerous, though some passages may still be left without sufficient explanation. References to the Vendidad, Yasna, and Visparad are made to Spiegel’s edition of the original texts, not because that edition is superior, or even equal, in accuracy to that of Westergaard, but because it is the only edition which gives the Pahlavi translations, because its sections are shorter and, therefore, reference to them is more definite, and because the only English translation of the Avesta hitherto existing! is based upon Spiegel’s edition, and is divided into the same sections. No attempt has been made to trace any of the myths or traditions farther back than the Avesta, whence their descent is a fact that can hardly be disputed. To trace them back to earlier times, to a supposed Indo-Iranian personification or poetic distortion of meteorological phenomena, would be, in the present state of our knowledge, merely substituting plausible guesses for ascertained facts. In many cases, indeed, we have really no right to assume that an Avesta myth has descended from any such Indo- Iranian origin, as there have been ample opportunities for the infiltration of myths from other sources, yet unknown, 1 Bleeck’s Avesta; the Religious Books of the Parsees; from Professor Spiegel’s German Translation; London, 1864. Not much reliance can be placed upon the correctness of this translation, owing to defects in the German one, Ixxii PAHLAVI TEXTS. among the many nations with which the religion of the Avesta has come in contact, both before and since the time of Zaratist. For, notwithstanding the ingenious rhetoric of the expounders of myths, it is still as unsafe, from a scientific point of view, to disbelieve the former existence of Zaratist as it is to doubt that of Moses, or any other practically prehistoric personage, merely because mythic tales have gathered about his name in later times, as they always do about the memory of any individual who has become famous or revered.
3In many cases the original Pahlavi word is appended, in parentheses, to its English equivalent in the translation. This has been done for the sake of explanation, when the word is technical or rare, or the translation is unusual. For, with regard to technical terms, it has been considered best, in nearly all cases, to translate them by some explanatory phrase, in preference to filling the translation with foreign words which would convey little or no distinct meaning to the general reader. Some of these technical terms have almost exact equivalents in English, such as those translated ‘resurrection’ and ‘demon,’ or can be well expressed by descriptive phrases, such as ‘sacred twigs’ and ‘sacred cakes.’ Other terms are only approximately rendered by such words as ‘archangel’ and ‘angel ;’ others can hardly be expressed at all times by the same English words, but must change according to the context, such as the term variously rendered by ‘worship, ceremonial, prayer, or rites. While the meaning of some few terms is so technical, complicated, or uncertain, that it is safer to use the Pahlavi word itself, such as Tandpdhar, Frasast, Gétikharid, Dvazdah-hémast, &c. The following is a list of nearly all the technical terms that have been translated, with the English equivalents generally used to express them :—Afrin, ‘blessing;’? aharmdk, ‘apostate, heretic ;’ aharQbé, ‘righteous ;’ aharibd-d4d, ‘alms, almsgiving;’ akdin6, ‘infidel;’ ameshéspend, ‘archangel ;’ armést, ‘helpless ;? ast-hémand, ‘ material;’ atiséfrid, ‘ propitiation, offering ;’ bagh6é-bakht6, ‘divine providence ;’ baresém, ‘sacred twigs or twig-bundle;’ EE INTRODUCTION. I xxiii
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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