Syriac and Greek versions of the “Hymn of the Pearl”. Introduction, translation and notes

Abstract

The Hymn of the Pearl is a short poem that is found in two manuscripts of the apocryphal Acts of Thomas. It tells the story of a young prince of the East, sent by his fathers in search of a precious pearl that is protected by a serpent in Egypt. In this paper, we offer an introduction to the text as well as an annotated Spanish translation of the Syriac and Greek version in columns. The synopsis of both the original texts and their Spanish translation shows the points of contact between them and emphasizes the difficulties of interpretation.