Pearl, translated by Coulton, is a stunning piece of medieval poetry that tells the story of a grieving father who has lost his young daughter, referred to as Pearl. The language is lyrical and rich, transporting readers to a world filled with sorrow, beauty, and spiritual contemplation.

In this dream-like narrative, the father is led on a journey to a magical garden where he encounters his lost daughter, who has transformed into a beautiful pearl. Through their conversation, the father grapples with grief, faith, and the meaning of loss, ultimately finding a sense of peace and acceptance.

Coulton's translation does justice to the elegance and intricacy of The Gawain Poet's original Middle English text. The language is accessible yet retains the poetic quality of the medieval era, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the emotional depth of the story.

Overall, Pearl is a haunting and poignant work that explores themes of love, loss, and redemption in a way that resonates across centuries. This translation is a must-read for lovers of poetry, medieval literature, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the human experience.

Book Description:
A companion piece to From Jerusalem to Revelations in the catalogue . Pearl, believed to have been written by the author of the Pagano-Christian beheading tale, Gawain and the Green Knight, enters the vision of a grieving father at his daughter's graveside that carries him with us into the spirit world in which she finds her dwelling place now, a pure unspotted girl, her father's pride, now a Pearl of great price and her Saviour's bride. She chides him, much Beatrice does Dante in his Divine Comedy with the plain and incontrovertible fact that she now lives in the New Jerusalem in the rapture of eternal bliss, while he is wholly wrapped in his desire to be again with her. The disconnect that must exist between this wholly human feeling, a paternal grief. against the vividly described reality of a spiritual universe that she inhabits now and her perpetual happiness as Bride of the Lamb, makes for much of the quiet humour and gentle pathos of the piece.