When I'd attained the age of seventeen
 
 My parents send me to a cadet school
 
 All my fellow students were like me
 
 Coming from distinguished homes
 
 They treated us hard, but not unfairly
 
 They drilled us and we learned to stand straight
 
 We looked so fine in our uniforms
 
 And our parents were so proud of us
 
  
  We went to many fancy dress balls
 
 And met the sisters of our fellow friends
 
 And also women that we shouldn't know
 
 But these were things that we kept for ourselves
 
 We didn't have the faintest notion
 
 What fighting on the battleground means
 
 In those days everything was glorious
 
 And the departure was not easy for us
  
 
 The rain whips my face and like struck by lightning
 
 My comrade falls near by my side
 
 I creep over him, I pull him back - hopefully he is alive
 
 Through smoke, fire and blood, through all that hellfire
 
 I carry him safe to our camp
 
 But in my excitement I lost attention
 
 That something has taken his soul
 
 Was it worth the price - this human sacrifice
  
 
 I have tried it with might and rain
 
 Alas, but I had to underlay
 
 Against the Death everything's in vein
 
 I was just a puppet in a play
  
 
 I'm wounded and sick
 
 My comrade beside me
 
 Is wounded and struggles with death
 
 I try to help him as best I can
 
 All in this horror and pain
 
 In blaze, blood and danger with kindred emotions
 
 I try to ease his mind
 
 But deep dark shadows that move like monsters
 
 Shake him and time him away
 
 Was it worth the price
 
 This human sacrifice
  
 
 I have tried it with might and rain
 
 Alas, but I had to underlay
 
 Against the Death everything's in vein
 
 I was just a puppet in a play, in a play
  
 
 Now war is over but I'm still in service
 
 I survived in this horrible dream
 
 I miss my brother, who deserted the colours
 
 He wrote me, he is alive
 
 By night fall they called me for an execution
 
 But, oh God, what did I see
 
 These clear, proud eyes were the eyes of my brother
 
 I close my eyes as I shoot
 
 Was it worth the price
 
 This human sacrifice
  
 
 I have tried it with might and rain
 
 Alas, but I had to underlay
 
 Against the Death everything's in vein
 
 I was just a puppet in a play, in a play