The theme of the pearl, with its mysterious origins, has been taken up by writers in many different languages and cultures. In Syriac, beside the 'Hymn of the Pearl', incorporated into the Acts of Thomas, best known is the group of five poems on the symbolism of the pearl by the fourth-century poet Ephrem. In this bilingual edition, Syriac-English, the text is provided fully vocalized both in East Syriac script and in West Syriac Serto, accompanied by a translation and followed by some basic annotation.
