This stunning work of medieval English literature is a metaphysical dialog between a bereft father and his lost daughter Pearl. Much as Virgil did for Dante, she leads him through the afterlife she now inhabits, hoping to ease his grieving spirit. Simon Armitage won the 2017 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation with this "energetic, free-flowing, high-spirited translation" (NYTBR) of the 14th century manuscript, which reminds us of his brilliant Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (believed to have come from the same source). This Pearl is a true gem, brought to life with Armitage's characteristic flair for the alliterative music of the original text.