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Fiore de'i Liberi/Sword in Two Hands

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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 Charlélie Berthaut

MS Ludwig XV 13 22r-a.jpg
MS Ludwig XV 13 22r-b.jpg

[1] We are two guards, one is made like the other, and one is the countrary to the other. And any other guard in the art is similar to the other, and is its contrary, except the guards which stay in point/thrust, which are Posta Lunga [Long Position] and Breve [Short Position] and Meza Porta di Ferro [Half Iron Door], because point by point the longer one offends before. And what the one can do, the other can. And each guard can do Volta Stabile [Stable Turn] and Meza Volta [Half Turn]. Volta Stabile [Stable Turn] is when standing still, you can fight in front and behind on one side. Meza Volta [Half Turn] is when one makes a pass forwards or backwards, so that he can fight on the other side in front and behind. Tutta Volta [Full Turn] is when one goes turning about one foot with the other foot; the one stands firm and the other circles. And because of that, I say the sword has three movements, which are Volta Stabile, Mezza Volta and Tutta Volta. And these guards are called, the one and the other, Posta di Donna [Position of the Lady]. Also, there are IV [4] things in the art, which are passing, turning, advancing and retreating.

[Text spans both images.]

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[2] Six Masters we are, and we dispute one to another
Each does something that the others do not:
And every one of them holds his sword in guard;
We will explain and demonstrate that which they are.

For throwing I am well prepared,
On a big step I will make a bargain.

We are six guards, and one is not similar to the other. And I am the first one, who talks of my reason. Of throwing my sword, this is my function. The other guards which are after me will likewise talk about their virtues, I think.







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[3] Against the grip of hand and also the throw,
With this guard, I know well how to ward.

I am a good guard in armour and without, and against spear and sword thrown by hand, which I know how to beat back and avoid. But I assure myself that they cannot harm me.



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[4] In order to strike farther and to step stronger
Against armor I want to stand in this way.

I am a guard for casting a long thrust. So much do I maintain the sword for longer reach. And I am good when both myself and the other are armoured, because I will not be mistaken if I have my point short in front.



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[5] Against dagger and against sword, armored
And unarmored, I want to be found in this way.

I am a good guard against sword, pollaxe and dagger wearing armour, because I carry the sword with the left hand in the middle. And I ___ do it against the dagger, which can harm me in a worse way than the other arms.



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[6] This grip is the noble Stance of the Queen:
She defends against cutting and thrusting in every way.

Guard and Position of the Lady I am called, because I am used with this other grip of sword, because one grip is not the same as the other, really as this that is against me seems my guard if it was not pollaxe-shaped that the sword intrada [enters?].



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[7] This sword I use for a sword and an axe:[2]
With harness and without, whoever can take me, go ahead.

This sword is a sword and a pollaxe. And heavy weights cause big troubles to the light. This is also the Position of the Lady, the High, which with your malice, often deceives the other guards, because you think I will swing a blow, I cast a thrust. I have nothing other to do but lift my arms over my head. And I can strike with a thrust, which I have quickly.



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[8] Downward Blows

We are downward blows and we dispute
By cleaving the teeth with proper intention:
We have not delayed in wounding
And we return to guard from move to move.

We are the Fendente and in the art our function is to cut the teeth and go to the knee with reasoning. And every guard which is done at the ground [low guard], of one guard to the we go without trouble. And breaking the guards with intelligence and with the blows we make a sign of blood. We, fendente, will not wait to injure, and return to guard move after move.






[9] Under Blows

We are the blows called Under,
Who always seek to strike the hands;
And we dispute from the knees up
And we teach a lesson by returning with downward blows.

We are Under Blows, and we commence at the knee, and go for the middle of the forehead, for the path which is taken by the fendenti. And for this way that we enter per this path we return, or we will remain in the Long Position.






[10] Middle Blows

We middle blows go thwarting;
From the knee and above we go wounding;
And we beat the thrusts out of the way
And, redoubling the blow, striking is our deal;
And if we of the middle blow enter cleaving,
We waste many people with such blows.

Middle Blows we are called, because we go in the middle of high/downwards and upwards cuts. And with the right edge/cut to the right side, and of the reverse [left] side we go with the false edge/cut. And our path is from the knee to the head.








[11] The Thrusts

Thrusts we are, of greatest offense
And we make our dispute to all strikes;
Venomous we are, more than a serpent,
And we kill more people than any strike;
And our thrusts to the blows do say:
So little do you cut that we sew like a needle.

We are the thrusts, cruel and mortal. And our path is for the middle of the body, commencing at the groin, finishing at the forehead. And we are thrusts of V [5] reasons, which are two Soprane [high/downwards], one on one side, the other on the other. And two of Sotta [low/under] similarly; one on one side, the other on the other. And one in the middle, which is of the Half Iron Door, or of the Long Position and Short Position.








[12] The Full Iron Gate, Pulsativa

We are called stances and guards by name,
And we are each one similar and contrary to another;
And following the way we stand and are positioned,
We will demonstrate how to make one against another.

The Full Iron Gate, I am low to the ground
So that I always restrain cuts and thrusts.

Here begins the guards of sword two-handed and there are XII [12] guards. The first one is Tutto Porta di Ferro (Full Iron Door), which stays in great strength and she is good for waiting for every hand weapon; long and short and if she has a good sword, not one that is too long. She passes with a cover and goes to close. She exchanges the thrusts and puts hers in. Also, it strikes back [rebats] the points to the ground, and always goes on with a pass [passing step], and to every strike she makes a cover. And who in this one gives great defence does it without tiring.








Here commence the guards of the sword in two hands, and there are 12 guards, and the first is the Full Iron Gate which stands in great strength and is good for awaiting all hand-held weapons, both extended and withdrawn, as long as she has good sword (not one of too much length). She steps with a cover and goes to the narrow, she exchanges thrusts and she delivers her own; she also beats thrusts to the ground and always goes with steps, and against all blows she makes a cover. And whoever joins a brawl with her will make great defense without fatigue.

















[12v-a]  Ferrea porta vocor terrena aequaliter ab omni /
Quae semper reparo / cesurae et cuspidis ictus.

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[14] The Stance of the Queen on the Right, Pulsativa

I am the Stance of the Queen, noble and proud
For making defense in every manner;
And whoever wants to contend against me
Will want to find a longer sword than mine.

This is Posta di Donna, which can do all the seven blows of the sword. And of all the blows she can cover. And break the other guards, for the great blows which it can do. And for exchanging the thrust she is always ready. The foot which is in front advances out of the way, and that which is back passes ala traversa [traversing across]. And the it makes the companion remain uncovered and this can injure him immediately for certain.






This is the Stance of the Queen, which can make all seven blows of the sword and can also cover all blows. She breaks the other guards through the great blows that she makes, and she is always ready for the exchange of thrusts: the foot that is in front advances out of the way and the one behind steps to the side. And her companion is made uncovered, and that one can immediately strike him for certain.












[15] The Stance of the Casement Window, Fluid

I am the royal Stance of the True Window
And I am always ready for the whole art.

This is Posta di Fenestra, which is always ready for malice and tricks. And of covering and injuring it is a master. And with all guards she makes question, and with the soprane (high guards) and with the terrene [low guards]. And from one guard to the other she often goes, to trick the companion. And placing great thrusts and knowing how to break and exchange, these plays she can do well.




This is the Stance of the Casement Window on the right, which is always ready with malice and trickery, and she is the Master of covering and of striking and with all the guards she makes her disputes (with the high and with the low). She often goes from one guard to another in order to fool her companion, and she throws great thrusts, and knows how to break and to exchange them—those plays she can make very well.








[16] The Middle Iron Gate, Stable

The Middle Iron Gate, I am strongest
For giving death with thrusts and downward blows:
And by extending my sword, I feel that
From the narrow play I always defend myself.

This is Mezzana Porta di Ferro (Half Iron Door), because it stays in the middle and is a strong guard. But, she wants a long sword. She throws strong thrusts and beats with force the swords upwards, and returns with a Fendente for the head or arms, and returns to its guard. But it is called Porta (Door), because it is strong and it is a strong guard that badly it can break without danger, and without coming to the close.






This is the Middle Iron Gate because she stands in the middle, and she is a strong guard but she doesn't want her sword extended. She throws strong thrusts and beats swords upward with strength, and returns with a downward blow through the head or through the arms and then simply returns to her guard. But she is well-named "gate" because she is strong; she is a strong guard that cannot be broken easily without danger and coming to the narrow.












[17] The Extended Stance, Fluid

I am the Extended Stance with my short sword
And I often strike the throat with cunning.

This is Posta Longa, full of deception. She goes, testing out the guards, if it can trick the companion. If she can injure with the point, then it knows well how to do it and it avoids blows, and can injure them. She can use deception more than the other guards.




This is the Extended Stance which is full of deceit; she probes the other guards to see if she can deceive a companion. If she can strike with a thrust, she knows well how to do it; she voids the blows and she can wound when she is able. More than any other guard, her tactic is deception.








[18] The Headband Stance called the Crown, Fluid

The Headband Stance, I am called the Crown;
I will pardon no one, not from the edge nor from the point.

This is Posta Frontale (Headband or ornament worn on the forehead), called by some masters Posta di Corona (Crown), which for crossing [incrosar - crossing blades] is good, and for the thrusts she is also good, because if they strike at her with a high thrust, she crosses it, passing out of the way. And if the strike is delivered low, also she passes out of the way, beating [rebatendo] the thrust to the ground. Also, she can do another thing, because in delivering a thrust, returning with the rear foot and makes a fendente for the head and for the arms and arrives in Dente di Cengiaro and immediately stabs a thrust or two with an advance [acresser] of the foot and returns with a fendente to its own gaurd.




This is the Headband Stance, and some Masters call her the Stance of the Crown. She is good at crossing, and she is also good against thrusts because if a point comes attacking upwards, she crosses, stepping out of the way. And she also steps out of the way if a point comes attacking low, beating the thrust to the ground. Again, she can do it differently, such that in the attack of a thrust she returns her foot behind and comes with a downward blow through the head and through the arms and goes to the Boar's Tusk, and then suddenly throws a thrust or two with an advance of her foot and returns with a downward blow from her own guard.








[19] [The Stance of the Queen on the Right, Pulsativa]

Again, I am the Stance of the Queen against the Boar's Tusk;
With malice and trickery, I will give of [my sword] in a brawl.




This is the Stance of the Queen, which can make all seven blows of the sword and can also cover all blows. She breaks the other guards through the great blows that she makes, and she is always ready for the exchange of thrusts: the foot that is in front advances out of the way and the one behind steps to the side. And her companion is made uncovered, and that one can immediately strike him for certain.






[20] The Wild Boar's Tusk, Stable

I am the strong Stance of the Boar's Tusk.
My tactic against all the guards is to probe.

This is Boar’s Tooth, because the boar takes this way to injure. She delivers great thrusts under-hand [upwards], finishing at the face, without moving to pass and returns with a fendente downwards through the arms. And sometimes delivering a thrust at the face and going with the point high, and in that act of thrusting she immediately advances [acresse] the foot which is in front and returns with the fendente for the head and for the arms, and she returns in its guard, and immediately commits another thrust, with an advance of the foot. And it defends itself well from Gioco Stretto.




This is the Wild Boar's Tusk since the tusk of a wild boar has a similar method of striking. She attacks with great underhand thrusts ending in the face and doesn't move a step, and then returns with a downward blow down to the arms. And sometimes she throws her point to the face and goes with the point high, and in that throw of the point she suddenly advances the foot which is in front and returns to her guard, and immediately throws another thrust with an advance of the foot, and thus defends well against the narrow play.








[21] The Shortened Stance, Stable

I am the Shortened Stance and I hold my sword long;
Often I thrust the point and then return with cunning.

This is Posta Breve, which wants a long sword and is a malicious guard which does not have stability. Furthermore, it always moves and sees if it can enter with a thrust or with a pass against the companion. And this guard is more appropriate in armour than without armour.




This is the Shortened Stance, which wants a long sword, and she is a malicious guard which doesn't have stability. Also, she always moves and watches to see if she can enter with her point and with a step against her companion, and more appropriate is this guard in armor than without armor.








[22] The Stance of the Queen on the Left, Pulsativa

I am the left Stance of the True Window;
I am just as swift in this one as from the right.

This is Posta di Donna la Senestra, which of covering and of injuring she is always ready. She makes great blows and breaks the thrusts and beats them to the ground. And enters into Gioco Stretto [Close Play], thanks to the knowledge of how to cross/traverse. This guard knows how to do these plays well.




This is the Stance of the Queen on the left, and she is always ready to cover and to strike. She makes great blows and breaks the thrusts, beating them to the ground, and she enters into the narrow play by knowing how to thwart. Such a guard knows well how to make these plays.








[23] The Stance of the Long Tail, Stable

Stance of the Long Tail, I am extended to the ground
Forward and backward, I always make offense:
And if I step forward and enter with a downward blow,
I come to the narrow play without fail.

This is the Posta di Coda Longa, which is right-sided backwards to the ground. She can place thrusts, and in front can cover and injure. And if she passes on the front and delivers a fendente, she enters into Gioco Stretto without failing, because this guard is good for waiting, because it can enter into the other ones [Posta].






This is the Stance of the Long Tail which is extended toward the ground. She can thrust the point behind and she can cover and strike in front, and if she steps forward and attacks with a downward blow, into the narrow play she enters without failure. And such a guard is good for waiting, because from her someone can enter into the others quickly.












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[24] The Stance of the Two-Horned Anvil, Fluid

I make myself called the Stance of the Anvil
If I have deceit, you may ask no less of me.

This is Posta di Bichorno, which stays cossì serada which always stays with the point/thrust for the middle of the path. And that which Posta Longa can do, this can do. And I say the same for Posta di Fenestre and Posta Frontale.

[In the Novati, the left hand is not reversed; this is likely due to an error on the part of the artist hired to clean up the Pisani Dossi manuscript images before publication.]




This is the Stance of the Two-Horned Anvil, which is so strongly enclosed that she always remains with her point toward the middle of the way. And she can do that which the Extended Stance can do, and this can similarly be said of the Stance of the Window and the Headband Stance.








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[25] The Stance of the Boar's Tusk in the Middle, Stable

This is Dente Cenghiaro Mezano, and because the full one is two teeth of boar, the other is half [Mezo] and called half [Mezo], because she stays in the middle of the person. And that which the said tooth can do [Dente di Cenghiaro], the middle tooth can do [Dente Cenghiaro Mezano]. And in the way that the boar does "a la traversa" [traverses] of the sword of the companion. And always gives a thrust and discrova the companion and always slices the hands and sometimes the head and arms.


  1. Word bisected by sword.
  2. For more information about this sword, see Armored Sword 29.
  3. The intent of this word seems clear, but the letter forms look almost like anta.
  4. Added later: "scilicet nobis".
  5. Added later: "+".
  6. Added later: "i.e. velocem". We also considered a volverem reading.
  7. Word bisected by sword.
  8. Word bisected by sword.
  9. Added later: "aftraro"?.
  10. potentially remeatio, but written as *tior to rhyme with brevior, minor, and revertor
  11. Or "saepe" (often), which may be more likely than "sepe" (hedge or defensive barrier)
  12. Corrected from "e" to "i".
  13. More likely laevus than levus
  14. Post is written above this paragraph and then mostly erased.
  15. The last word seems faded
  16. Added later: "scilicet ego."