Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Christian Trosclair 2022

Here the gloss and the explanation of the Zettel of the long sword begins,

which Johannes Liechtenauer, may God be merciful to him, who was known to be a high master of the art, had versified and produced. And that is the reason this art belongs to princes and lords, knights and squires that they should learn and know this. For this reason, he had allowed it to be written in cryptic and misleading words, so that no one could recognize and comprehend it. And he had this done in light of the half-baked masters of defense, whose art amounts to little, so that his art would not be revealed nor become coarsened by these masters. These same cryptic and misleading words of the Zettel are clarified and laid straight in the glosses hereafter in such a way that anyone that can already otherwise fence can recognize and comprehend them.

Here, precisely note whatever is written in red in the beginning of the written plays hereafter. This is the text of the cryptic words of the Zettel of the long sword. The subsequent black writing, this is the gloss and the explanation of the cryptic and misleading words of the Zettel.

This is the forward.

1	Young knight learn To have love for god, honor women
2	So that you expand your honor. Practice Knighthood and learn
3	Art that decorates you And in war exalts you with honor.
4	Use the good grips of wrestling, Lance, spear, sword, and messer
5	Like a man And render them useless in other's hands.
6	Attack suddenly and charge in, Flow onwards, engage or let pass.
7	Thus the intellectuals hate him, Yet this one sees glories.
8	Hold yourself to this: All art has a time and place.

This is a general lesson of the long sword in which much good art is held

Text

9	If you wish to examine the art, Go left and right with cutting
10	And left with right, That is, if you desire to fence strongly.

Gloss: Note this is the foremost art of the long sword, that above all you should learn to cut correctly. That is, if you wish to otherwise fence strongly. Look at it like this. When you stand with your left foot forwards and cut from your right side, if you then do not accompany the cut with the ingress of your right foot, then this cut is erroneous and incorrect. When your right side remains behind it, the cut becomes too short thereby and its correct path down to the other side in front of the left foot cannot happen.

Or if you stand with your right foot forwards and cut from the left side, if you do not then also accompany the cut with your left foot, then the cut is again erroneous. Therefore, see to it that when you cut from the right side that you always accompany the cut with the right foot. Do exactly the same when you cut from the left side so that your body brings itself correctly into balance with it. In this way, the cuts become long and are conducted correctly.

This again is the text and the gloss about a lesson

11	Whoever chases after cuts Allows themselves to enjoy little of the art.

Gloss. This means when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, you do not stand still and look upon their cut nor await whatever they fence against you. Know that all fencers that look out and wait upon another's cut and will do nothing other than parry, they allow themselves to enjoy quite little of the art, because it is dismantled and they become struck for this reason.

This again is the text and the gloss about a lesson

12	Cut from close proximity whatever you wish No changer gets past your shield
13	To the head, to the body Do not omit the stingers
14	With the entire body Fence whatever you desire to conduct with strength.

Gloss: Note this means when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, from that point, whatever you wish to fence, conduct that with the entire strength of the body and in this fashion toward their head and toward their body from close proximity and remain with the point in front of their face or their breast so that they cannot disengage in front of the point. If they parry with strength and let their point go off away from you to the side, then give them a wound on the arm.

Or if they rise up high with the arms with an act of parrying, then strike below with a free cut to their body and with that, immediately step back. Thus are they struck before they become aware of it.

This again is the text and the gloss about a lesson

15	Now hear what is bad Do not fence lefty from above if you are a righty
16	And if you are a lefty You also quite awkward on the right

Gloss: Note this is a lesson that hits upon two people, a righty and a lefty and it is also how you shall cut so that one cannot win the weak of your sword with the first cut. Look at it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if you are a righty, then do not cut the first cut from the left side by choice because it is weak and with it you cannot hold fast when they cleave in with you strongly. Therefore, cut from the right so you can stay in contact with full strength and work whatever you wish at the sword. In the same way if you are lefty, then also do not cut the first cut from the right side because it is quite undependable art for a lefty to initiate from the right side. It is also the same for a righty from the left side.

This again is the text and the gloss about a lesson

17	Before and After, the two things Are the singular origin of the entire art.
18	Weak and strong Indes, note them with this word
19	So that you may learn To work and ward with art.
20	Whoever frightens easily Never learns to fence.

Gloss: Note this means that you shall see and understand the two things correctly for all situations. This is the before and the after and after that, the weak and the strong of the sword and the word Indes, because the entire art of fencing comes from those. When you correctly see and comprehend these things and have not forgotten the word Indes therein, in all plays that you conduct, then you are indeed a good master of the sword and can fully teach princes and lords so that they may keep with the proper art of the sword in battle and in earnest.

Here note what is here called the before.

This means that you should always come before, be it with a cut or with a stab, before the opponent does. And when you preempt them with a cut or what have you so that they must parry you, then Indes work swiftly for yourself in their act of parrying with your sword or whatever, with other plays so that they cannot come to any work.

Here note what is here called the after.

The after, these are the breaks against all plays and cuts that one conducts upon you and look at it like this. When the opponent preempts you with a cut so that you must parry them, then Indes work swiftly to the nearest opening during your act of parrying using your sword so that you break their before with your after.

Here note the weak and the strong of the sword.

The weak and the strong, look at it like this. On the sword, from the hilt to the midpoint of the blade, this is the strong of the sword and further past the midpoint to the point of the sword is the weak. And how you shall work with the strong of your sword according to the weak of their sword will be explained to you hereafter.

This is the text and the gloss of the five cuts.

21	Learn five cuts From the right hand against the weapon,
22	We swear upon this To pay off in skills easily.

Gloss: Note there are five cryptic cuts that many masters of the sword know nothing of which to speak of. You shall learn to hew these from the right side. Whichever fencer that can break the cuts with the proper art without harm, they will be valued by other masters, for their art shall be more worthwhile to them than other fencers. And how one shall hew these cuts with their plays will be explained to you hereafter.

23	Wrathcut Crook and Cross, If the Eye Cocker keeps with the Parter,
24	The Fool parries. Pursuing and Overrunn, places the attack
25	Disengage, Suddenly withdraw, Rush through, Cut off, Press the hands
26	Tilt and Turn to uncover with Slash, catch, sweep, stab to clash with

Gloss: Note here the correct chief components of the Zettel of the long sword have been named for you as they are each designated with its name so that you can better recognize and understand them. The first, these are the five cuts as they are specifically named:

Item: The first is called the wrathcut
Item: The second, the crooked cut
Item: The third, the crosswise cut
Item: The fourth, the cockeyed cut
Item: The fifth, the part cut

Now note the components

The first, these are the four guards
The second, the four parries
The third, the pursuing
The fourth, the overruning
The fifth, the displacing
The sixth, is the disengaging
the seventh, is the withdrawing suddenly
The eighth, the rushing through
The ninth, the cutting off
The tenth is the hand pressing
The eleventh, these are the hangings
The twelfth, these are the windings

And what you should fence from the components and how you should acquire yourself openings by hanging and the winding, you will find these written hereafter one after the other in the order above.

Here the text and the gloss begin

The first is about the wrathcut with its plays

27	Whoever makes a descending cut at you The point of wrathcut threatens them

Gloss: Note the wrathcut interrupts any descending cut with the point and is yet nothing other than a simple peasant strike. Conduct it like this: when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they subsequently cleave in at your head from high from their right side, then you wrathfully cleave in with them from high from your right side as well, atop their sword without any act of parrying. (marginalia: into the weakness of their sword) If they are then soft against your sword, then shoot the point in at them long, straight ahead and stab them in the face or breast, then lodge against them.

This is the text and the gloss of another play of the wrathcut

28	If they become aware of it Then abscond above without concern

Gloss: Note this is when you cleave in with the wrathcut, then shoot the point in long into their face or breast as was written before. Then if they become aware of the point and parry strongly and press your sword to your side, then with your sword against their sword's blade, rise high off upwards, away from their sword and cut back in at the opponent's head again on the other side against their blade. This is called absconding above.

Break it like this

When they abscond above, then bind in against their sword from above with the long edge towards their head.

This is again the text and the gloss of the wrathcut

29	Be strong in turn Wind. Stab. If they see it, then take it below

Gloss: Note that this is when you cleave in with the wrathcut. If they parry and remain strong against the sword with their act of parrying, then remain strongly in opposition with your sword against their sword and rise up high with your arms and wind against their sword with your hilt forwards, in front of your head and thrust into their face from above. If they become aware of the thrust and rise up with the arms high and parry with their hilt, then remain standing like this with your hilt in front of your head and set your point below onto their neck or onto their breast between both of their arms.

This is the text and the gloss of a lesson of the wrathcut

30	Precisely note this Cut, stab, position, soft or hard
31	Indes and before and after Without rush, your war is not hasty.

Gloss: Note this is when the opponent has bound against your sword with a cut or with a stab or however else. You should not let yourself be too hasty with the windings, because it is done this way: You precisely note first whether it is soft or hard when one sword clashes onto another. And after you have perceived that, then work Indes with the winding according to the soft and according to the hard, always to the nearest opening as will be explained and conveyed to you hereafter in the plays.

This is the text and the gloss of the war.

32	For the one whose war takes aim Above, they will be shamed below.

Gloss: Note the war, these are the winds and the work which continues into the four openings with the point. Conduct it like this: When you cleave in with the wrathcut, then as soon as they parry, rise sufficiently up with your arms and against their sword "wind" in your point to the upper opening of their left side from above. Then, if they displace your upper thrust, remain standing in the winding like this with the hilt in front of your head and still to their left side, let your point sink down to the lower opening. Then if they chase your sword with an act of parrying, seek the lower opening of their right side with your point. Then if they chase your sword further with an act of parrying, then rise up with your sword to your left side and hang in your point to the upper opening of their right side. In this way they become shamed above and below via the war if you otherwise conduct it correctly.

This is again the text and the gloss of a lesson of the wrathcut

33	In all winds Cut, stab, slice learn to apply
34	Also with that you shall Gauge cut, stab or slice
35	In all encounters Of the masters, if you wish to dishonor them.

Gloss: Note this is for when you cleave in with the wrathcut. You should be quite well practiced and quite polished with the windings because each winding has three particular plays, that is, a cut, a stab and a slice. And when you wind against the sword, then you should completely make sure that you do not conduct the incorrect play. Therefore you should not cut when you should stab and not slice when you should cut and not stab when you should slice. And you should always know which play to conduct that is rightfully called for in all encounters and binds of the sword else if you wish to dishonor or confound the masters that set themselves against you. And how you shall conduct the windings and how they are numbered, you can find that written in the last play of the Zettel that says: "Who fully commands and correctly breaks..."

This is the text and the gloss of the four openings

36	Know the four openings Take aim so that you strike wisely
37	Into any movement Without doubt however they are situated.

Gloss: Note whoever wishes to be a master of the sword, they shall know how one shall seek the openings with art, if they otherwise wish fence correctly and wisely. Above the girdle, the first opening is the right side, the second the left. Below the girdle the other two are the right and left sides. It follows that there are just two applications from which one may seek the openings. In the first one can seek them from the initiation of fencing by pursuing and by the shooting in of the long point. In the second, one shall seek them with the eight winds when one has bound the opponent against the sword. You shall understand it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, you shall boldly, without any fear, with a cut or a stab, target whichever one of the four openings that you may best get to. And do not heed whatever it is that they conduct or fence against you. By doing this, you constrain your opponent so that they must parry you. And when they have parried, then immediately seek the nearest opening again by winding against their sword in the act of parrying. Always target the openings of the opponent in this fashion and not to the sword like in the play here which says "Lodge against four regions, Learn to remain upon them if you wish to finish"

(marginalia: with the shooting in of the long point and with pursuing, seek the openings)

This is the text and the gloss of how one shall break the four openings.

38	If you wish arrange yourself To artfully break the four openings
39	Double high Mutate down below
40	I say to you truthfully No one defends themselves without danger
41	If you have understood this, They can scarcely come to blows, etc.

Gloss: Note when opponent cleaves in at you, if you then wish to set yourself up against them and secure the opening from them with art so that they must allow themselves to be struck without their consent, then conduct the doubling against the strong of their sword and conduct the mutating when they are weak against the sword. For I say to you truthfully, that when facing you they cannot protect themselves from strikes nor can they come to blows themselves.

Here note how you shall conduct doubling to both sides

Note when they initiate a cut from their right shoulder, then also cleave in strongly from above with them at the same time from your right to their head. If they parry and stay strong against the sword, then 'Indes', rise up with your arms and thrust your sword's pommel under your right arm using your left hand and strike them on their head with the long edge and crossed arms and from behind their sword's blade.

Note, if they cleave in from above to your head with their long edge and you do it back to them the same way, if they then stay strong against the sword, then immediately rise up with your arms and strike them on their head using your short edge and from behind their sword's blade.

(marginalia: I have taught it and war with the sword and crossing under to the other side)

Here note how one shall conduct the mutating to both sides

Note when you cleave in strongly from your right shoulder and they parry and are soft against your sword, then "wind" the short edge against their sword to your left side and rise up sufficiently with your arms and pass over their sword with your sword's blade and stab them in their lower opening.

Another

Note when when you cleave in at their head up from your left side, if they parry and are soft against your sword, then rise up with your arms and hang your point down from up over their sword and stab them in their lower opening. You may also conduct these two plays from any attack from after the point you sense weak and strong against their sword.

These are the trials of the sword and whoever wins them is worthy of praise.