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Fiore de'i Liberi/Spear vs. Other Weapons

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PD Complete translation by Michael Chidester
Getty Complete translation by Matt Easton and Eleonora Durban

Paris (Open for translation) Not started
Morgan Complete translation by Michael Chidester

Morgan Transcription [edit]
Open for editing

Getty Transcription [edit]
Open for editing

Pisani Dossi Transcription [edit]
by Francesco Novati

Paris Transcription [edit]
by Kendra Brown and Rebecca Garber

MS Ludwig XV 13 31r-c.jpg
MS Ludwig XV 13 31r-d.jpg

[11] In this way I wait with the dagger and with the staff:
The staff will make a cover, the dagger will strike you in the chest.
And that which I do with a staff, I could also do with a sword,
Although I could find much stronger plays with the sword.

This Master waits for these two with their spears. The first one wants to throw with the thrust/point from over-hand. And the other one wants to throw from under-hand. The Master who waits with a stave and with a dagger; when one of these ones wants to throw his spear, the Master moves the stick towards the right side that is almost in a Tutta di Porto Ferro (Full Iron Door), turning his body, not moving the foot or stick from the ground. And the Master remains in guard. And as soon as one of these ones strikes, he strikes back the spear with his stave, and with the dagger in his left hand,[1] if he needs it, and in striking back he passes and injures. And this is his defence, as we will find in these two spearmen after.






For this play, which is of staff and dagger against a lance, the Scholar awaits him of the lance in the Full Iron Gate, turning his body but not moving his feet from the ground nor his staff toward the right side. And as he of the lance attacks the Scholar with his lance, the Scholar advances his left foot out of the way, beating and voiding the lance. And he steps close to him without delay and with the dagger he can strike him. This play he wants to make without fail.











[12] We were both ready to injure this Master, but, according to what he said, we could not do anything. Except for if we manage in this way; that is, we turn our spear points backwards, and we will poke with the butt of the spear. And when he strikes back the butt of our spear, we will turn our spears and we will injure him with the other end, with our spear points. And this will do his counter [the counter to his play].

[13] In that way that the previous Master has said, I strike that one in the chest with the dagger.

This is the play of the Master who waits for those two with spears. The Master has in his right hand a dagger, and he keeps a stave straight in front of him in his left hand. He can do the play in this way. And I do it for him in his place. But if this player knew how to do well, he could have avoided the dagger’s point. If he had lifted his hands with the spear, and with the rest of the spear which remains at the rear-end, he had covered under my dagger, which means crossing, it would not have happened to him. And he could have damaged me with his spear, if he knew how to do this counter to me.



[14] I wait here with two sticks and a dagger:
The one I will throw at you and with the other I will cover, coming to the narrow,
And quickly I will strike you in the chest with my dagger.

This Master will do the defence with this stave against spear in this way: When the one with the spear is near enough to strike, the Master, with his right hand, strikes with his stave at the head of the one with the spear. And immediately in striking, goes with the other stick at the spear, and with his dagger injures him in the chest, as it is drawn hereafter.[5]





[15] That which the Master has said, so do I do,
I have placed the dagger in your chest without trouble.

I do what the Master here before said. If you knew the counter, you would have caused me problems in this way: You could have lifted your hands with your spear under my dagger, and in this way you could have wounded me. Have this, because you did not know what to do!



[16] These are three fellows who want to kill this Master. The first one wants to hit within easy reach, as he holds his lance in the mid of it; the other sets his lance in rest using all of it; the third one wants to throw his lance against him. And the pact is that none of them must strike more that one blow, also they have to strike in turns.

Here are three companions who want to strike this Master: the first wants to strike underhand and carries his weapon at the middle of the lance; the other carries his weapon in rest at the full of the lance; the third wants to throw his lance. And they are agreed that none should strike more than one blow per man, and that they should do it one by one.

[17] Even if Rolando and Pulicano were to make me an invitation with lances,
I would await them in this match with spear or with staff;
I will beat their lances and I will strike their heads
As I depart from this guard.

They who want shall come, one by one, because I am not running away from here for none of them. Also, I am ready waiting in Dente di Cinghiale. When the lance is set against me, or thrown by the hand, I immediately dodge its course: I step with my right foot out of the path and I pass traverse with the left one striking back the lance that comes to hit me. In this way of a thousand one can not be failed. This technique I do with the ghiavarina, can be done with a stick and a sword. The defence I do against the lances, will be done against sword and staff by the plays coming after me.






Come one by one whoever wants to come, and I will run from no one. Again, I am positioned in the Boar's Tusk to wait, and when the lance will come against me (carried or thrown by hand) I immediately avoid its path—that is, I advance my right foot out of the way and with my left I step on the traverse, beating the lance that comes to strike me such that of a thousand, I couldn't fail to beat even one. This I do with the spear, and with the staff or with the sword I would also do it, and the defense that I make which is against the spear, I could also make against the sword or the staff. I ask that you view the plays that are hereafter.











[18] I cut you in the head with my spear
From the guard of the Master which is so quick.

This is the play of the Master before, who waits with the ghiavarina in Dente di Cinghiale the one coming with the horse; stepping out of path and striking back he enters in this technique, and I hope it is understood, I am going to perform it at his place: I can hit him in the head with cuts and thrusts so fast I move my ghiavarina.



This play belongs to the Master who came before, who awaits him of the horse with his spear in Boar's Tusk. In stepping out of the way and beating as he does, he enters into this play and so that it is understood, I do according to his word and with the edge and the point I could strike him in the head, since I carry my spear with such readiness.





[19] With the butt I have struck you with my spear,
But I have another point which is even sharper.

Again this is a play of the aforementioned Master who is above in Posta di Dente di Cinghiale, I do what he can do at his place. When he has stricken the lance back, I turn my lance around and so I hit him with the point; because this steel is so well tempered (forged) that it could pierce anything.



Again is this the play of the aforesaid Master who was previously in the Stance of the Boar. In his stead I do this, which he also could have done: when the lance is beaten, I turn my spear and I strike him with the butt (since it is well-tempered iron).





  1. It is in his right in the pics!
  2. Changed from "o" to "i".
  3. A tiny note (M, perhaps) may have been removed above “agitando”.
  4. Probably meant to be "de si".
  5. Wow, this guy has weapons and three arms!
  6. Corrected from "e" to "i".
  7. Added later: "+ hoc ego".
  8. Corrected from "e" to "l".
  9. Added later: "nomen properum". Partially obliterated
  10. Added later: "nomen properum".
  11. Added later: "de fresne".
  12. To the right of the first two lines, there appear to be three lines of smudgy pencil (most likely M or F), but nothing specific can be made out.
  13. Added later: "matreque?".
  14. Added later: "four words that might be latin".
  15. There is no enjambment bracket, but grammar and syntax led to enjambment in the translation.
  16. "e" changed to "r".
  17. Possibly "maestum"
  18. Enjambment bracket
  19. Added later: "reparer renouvelir".