My well-beloved was stripped. Knowing my whim,
She wore her tinkling gems, but naught besides:
And showed such pride as, while her luck betides,
A sultan’s favored slave may show to him.
When it lets off its lively, crackling sound,
This blazing blend of metal crossed with stone
Gives me an ecstasy I’ve only known
Where league of sound and lustre can be found.
She let herself be loved: then, drowsy-eyed,
Smiled down from her high couch in languid ease.
My love was deep and gentle as the seas
And rose to her as to a cliff the tide.
My own approval of each dreamy pose,
Like a tamed tiger, cunningly she sighted:
And candour, with lubricity united,
Gave piquancy to every one she chose.
Her limbs and hips, burnished with changing lustres
Before my eyes, clairvoyant and serene,
Swanned themselves, undulating in their sheen;
Her breasts and belly, of my vine the clusters,
Like evil angels rose, my fancy twitting,
To kill the peace which over me she’d thrown,
And to disturb her from the crystal throne
Where, calm and solitary, she was sitting.
So swerved her pelvis that, in one design,
Antiope’s white rump it seemed to graft
To a boy’s torso, merging fore and aft.
The talc on her brown tan seemed half-divine.
The lamp resigned its dying flame. Within,
The hearth alone lit up the darkened air,
And every time it sighed a crimson flare
It drowned in blood that amber-coloured skin.
Skin musk and honey, blood-red rose, orange blossom, white peach, red apple, frankincense and myrrh.
c-j-allison –
What I love about BPAL is that there are so many floral offerings, and not one of them is a wallflower.
I find Delight strong, tropical, heady and hot. I get a lot of frangipani and tuberose and there’s a touch of greeness as well as a somehow spicy, bronzed skin hint.
Evocative of a tropical paradise resort, swimming in crystal clear waters and hooking up with the pool boy.
sbensabat –
A nice fresh floral blend with a decent throw and staying power.
Katie –
I chose to try this because I love florals that are dark and sensual. With jasmine and tuberose both on the list, I was expecting this scent to be much more indolic. On me, the scent is too clean and polite.
Dawn –
Since perfume is so subjective, my 5 stars is based on the scent staying with me through the day and not irritating my sensitive skin or giving me a headache. But of the five Black Phoenix scents I’ve tried so far, Delight is by far my favorite, and the only one that would also get my 5 stars for personal preference. To my senses, it comes across as nothing like the lighter rose, iris and peony florals I usually favor, but instead as pure Nag Champa–that classic incense blend of frangipani and sandalwood. It instantly uplifts my spirits, as if I’m walking into a new age store full of crystals and faeries and wind chimes, with hours free ahead of me to browse.
Elizabeth –
I do love florals, so based on the reviews, I added an imp to my order. Out of the bottle, it was heavily floral with strong notes of frangipani and jasmine. Wet, the rose came out and something else, a little dryer and greener. On the dry-down, the strong florals became less prominent and I got notes of vanilla flower and parchment and the sweet, subtle smell of freshly cut grass. This one is fantastic on me. I’m definitely going to keep the larger bottle on hand.
Gloame –
If you like florals, then I seriously doubt you could do anything but love Delight. It’s unapologetically feminine and floral. I really love the scent, but it doesn’t work on my skin. If I walked into a house that smelled like this, I would smile.
Floral, soft, dry.
jasmindreams2010 –
You really have to like serious florals, but if that’s your thing, Delight is a masterpiece. This is high heels and a bikini. This is a secret love letter. It’s a romantic getaway in the tropics, it’s torrid, hot and wild. Indolic jasmine, hot pink roses, languid tuberose. Not your grandma’s floral. These are high-grade floral accords, nothing fake or overly sugary here. This is the first bpal I’ve ever tried and still probably my favorite. I’ve gotten compliments from men and women on this one. But you must. Love. Florals.
xaglow –
I found this one to be a very classic jasmine perfume so if that’s not your thing this might not be the floral perfume for you. That aside, it does dry well, but is still a little too strong for my taste.