Off in the East, the sound of the beast,
Calling through the midnight air;
Sixteen fortnights and a battle fair,
No war was lost to the West.
The sound of the drums, and marching man's hums,
Fighting the weary feet;
The soldiers come through the valley of pain,
An ambush laid as they weep.
In sixteen fortnights not a soul was lost,
But there in the forlorn plains,
Twelve thousand will die,
To rise to the final plane.
Off in the East, no soldier was found,
Our lord called them home;
The march was endless, the battle relentless,
The snow to become their tomb.
Our gods have left us for more worthy men,
But we drag on in bitter frost;
To be with our wives, no matter the cost,
We will return home from the East.