1. Two years have passed, prolonged is their span,
And the war continues to flare up and smoulder.

2. Its range extends across the world's inhabitants,
Cloaking them in the darkness of misery.

3. Its instigator fears its dying out,
So he adds fuel, tightening bonds whenever

4. He goads the Turks, then a year later the Bulgars
He shoves and drags into it.

5. And he proceeds to commit the most heinous acts
A human can conceive of evil atrocities.

6. Slaughtering mothers and relatives,
Destroying and orphaning their little ones.

7. Killing innocents is the least he does,
To him shedding blood is most lawful.

8. How many pacts has he trampled, how many sacrosanct things
Violated, how many sanctuaries desecrated?

9. He has committed crimes so vile they horrified the world
And it cried out at their monstrous evil.

10. What he did in Romania provoked anger
In all who heard, fury and indignation arose.

11. And it became clear he deliberately breached
Peace treaties and destroyed their foundations.

12. And so Romania saw it imperative
To repel the scourge, as others did too.

13. And she found the perfect chance,
To reap spoils and take what she coveted.

14. To bring under her banner people
Whose foe embittered them with woe and grief.

15. Brusilov's attack made her determined
To breach neutrality's boundary and charge ahead.

16. To Transylvania her hopes aspired
And cruel fate finally smiled.

17. To control it she made excuse
And opened her mouth to reclaim it.

18. Standing with the Allies she took
That stance decisively, with firm resolve.

19. She ignited war against Austria to achieve
The goal she intended and launched her arrows.

20. Against Transylvania she did not hesitate
To mobilize a seasoned army.

21. That flooded its straits and crossed its passes
Advancing steadily in its conquest.

22. Before it the defending army saw
No salvation but fleeing to safety.

23. The Romanians swept on in their rout
And Austria feared to send its army to stop them.

24. They advanced fifty miles without stopping,
Everyone charging ahead undeterred.

25. Austria was filled with shock and fear
Seeing the enormity of its plight.

26. It complained to Germany saying
"Come look at my wound and bring a balm!"

27. To save it they assembled troops
And armed a force, enormous and roaring.

28. Of their own and of Turkey's and Bulgaria's
They combined it, an army of the three.

29. Brusilov's attack, by stopping,
Relieved Austria of the greater predicament.

30. It enabled it to move most of its army
Away from the danger of attack on its hive.

31. With their help the attack was halted
And the Romanians' gains reversed.

32. They were forced to evacuate
The places their victory gripped and kept hold of.

33. Their army went over to defense instead of attack
Compelled and made to withdraw.

34. The Austrians counterattacked
Led by General von Falkenhayn.

35. From the south Mackensen came, leading
An army, aiding the assault and joining it.

36. The two armies closed in around them
And Mackensen boldly pressed on.

37. He crossed the straits while von Falkenhayn
Crossed the Danube, both forces advancing.

38. Cutting off the Romanians from aid
From their western allies, decisively.

39. None could achieve this but Russia,
Though it had promised, it clearly reneged.

40. Reportedly, had it kept its promise,
The attack would have been stopped and thwarted.

41. But, they say, it's Romania more deserving
Of blame and condemnation for all of this.

42. As for me, I consider it a secret
For me to divulge it, unless I know more.