Say that the men of the old black tower,
Though they but feed as the goatherd feeds,
Their money spent, their wine gone sour,
Lack nothing that a soldier needs,
That all are oath-bound men:
Those banners come not in.
There in the tomb stand the dead upright,
But winds come up from the shore:
They shake when the winds roar,
Old bones upon the mountain shake.
Those banners come to bribe or threaten,
Or whisper that a man’s a fool
Who, when his own right king’s forgotten,
Cares what king sets up his rule.
If he died long ago
Why do you dread us so?
There in the tomb drops the faint moonlight,
But wind comes up from the shore:
They shake when the winds roar,
Old bones upon the mountain shake.
The tower’s old cook that must climb and clamber
Catching small birds in the dew of the morn
When we hale men lie stretched in slumber
Swears that he hears the king’s great horn.
But he’s a lying hound:
Stand we on guard oath-bound!
There in the tomb the dark grows blacker,
But wind comes up from the shore:
They shake when the winds roar,
Old bones upon the mountain shake.
A sepulchral, desolate scent. Long-dead soldiers, oath-bound; the perfume of their armor, the chill wind that surges through their tower, white bone and blackened steel: white sandalwood, ambergris, wet ozone, galbanum and leather with ebony, teak, burnt grasses, English ivy and a hint of red wine.
Tiffany Chiang –
A touch too grassy from the bottle, but as soon as I put it on my skin, it smells amazing. I put it on myself everyday, I want to bathe in it. It smells so dreamy, a mature scent like others have said, but very very beautiful.
Claire –
This is a very lovely scent. It starts out smelling very strongly of fresh grass and greenery (especially in the bottle), but it softens a bit when worn, balanced out by the scent of lilac and hints of other flowers. It really does capture a verdant forest and the scent is very lasting through the day.
oonakali –
My most beloved scent made by BPAL I love to get it once more even by a different name never wanted to surround myself in a smell as much as this. It is the hope of spring and the lilac bush out in front of my house after a spring rain.
wickedphd –
When I was a little girl, my grandmother had a lilac bush that, to tiny me, was as large as a tree. I used to play under it all day and into dusk when I parents picked me. This scent is that lilac bush, and my childhood under it, in a bottle. The first time I sniffed it I burst into tears. I hope it restocks soon.
WinteryCate –
Absolutely exquisite. This is the scent of an ancient, moon-dappled forest when the lilacs are all in full bloom. Rather than being a strong floral, it’s a damp, green scent that captures lilac blossoms just as they’re opening. I’d say it’s either a more mature scent, or one that’s better suited to magical summer evenings.
When I wear it to bed, I have the most incredible dreams…
Leona –
A very grassy, green scent. Like broken green twigs and moss, and some sort of floral scent I can’t quite identify but it makes me think of the forests that I used to play in as a child. Perhaps moon flowers?
All in all a beautiful scent, very clean and dry.