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.
Sadie –
I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed the weirdest scent I’ve ever loved! The coconut is by far the strongest note for me, and it’s a strong, bitter botanical rather than a dessert or suntan lotion smell. Hazelnut comes out more as it dries down, but the almost astringent quality of the coconut and other botanicals in this keeps going strong. I completely disagree with other reviewers who say it smells powdery or feminine or like any chain store perfumes. Things hit different noses differently, but to me this smells like toxic and acrid plants, like an apothecary’s workshop where you shouldn’t be tasting anything!
sbensabat –
I also find this is a great summer scent. The coconut stands out at first and then it becomes a bit powdery and floral, with a tang of musk.
veggiegal4ever –
Ladies, are you familiar with “Dream Angels Heavenly” by Victoria’s Secret? This is a dupe, and smells nearly identical in every way, in MY opinion. I’m not saying AT all that Bpal copied that fragrance, as the notes are different, but the combination of notes Bpal used creates a very similar experience. Black Pearl is soft, very feminine, skin musky and baby powdery, just like VS Heavenly. I received this as a sample but won’t be ordering a bottle, as it’s not for me. It’s also very reminiscent of Jean Paul Gaultier for men….the original one in the mannequin bottle; also nearly identical.
dinnercakes –
This is my summer scent. Just smelling it puts me in a beachy mood, especially if I pair it with a little salt spray in my hair and my favorite sandals.
josefinstjernqvist –
When I open the bottle all I smell is coconut, and I love the smell of coconuts! Wet on the skin I get a hint of floral and the hazelnut but it’s still mostly coconut. Once dry the coconut tones down and let the iris, the hazel and the musk. It is lovely! On me on the other hand the scent fades away a bit, sadly.
Gloame –
I am so confused by this scent. At first, all I could smell was cheesy feet (I know, I know!!!) but that may just be how straightforward chocolate morphs on me. I want to give the Lab’s chocolate notes another shot (I do love a few that have it in the background), but I don’t think this is my chocolate blend.
Lauren –
I get a sweet, tropical scent when I first put it on that dries to a nice powdery coconut. It smells like coconut sunblock is supposed to smell like. I keep getting a vanilla sugar smell that doesn’t overpower or have too much sweetness. It’s delightful.
Lowry –
My all-time favorite scent, subtle and soft and a little powdery, with just enough coconut to make it smell summery. I wear it every day in the summer.
callipsofacto –
I really enjoyed this. Coconut strong in the vial but nearly disappears on the drydown. The rest lingers lightly, eventually leaving just the wisps of musk.