I now make the spelling and forms of the words as modern as I may, altering the text no further.
"O pearl," quoth I, "in perles pight, _pitched, dressed._ Art thou my pearl that I have plained?
_mourned._ Regretted by myn one, on night?
_by myself._ Much longing have I for thee layned _hidden._ Since into grass thou me a-glyghte; _didst glide from me._ Pensive, payred, I am for-pained,[25] _pined away._ And thou in a life of liking light _bright pleasure._ In Paradise-earth, of strife unstrained! _untortured with strife._ What wyrde hath hither my jewel vayned, _destiny: carried off._ And done me in this del and great danger?
_sorrow._ Fro we in twain were towen and twayned, _since: pulled: divided._ I have been a joyless jeweller." That jewel then in gemmes gente, _gracious._ Vered up her vyse with even gray, _turned: face._ Set on her crown of pearl orient, And soberly after then gan she say: "Sir, ye have your tale myse-tente, _mistaken._ To say your pearl is all away, That is in coffer so comely clente _clenched._ As in this garden gracious gay, Herein to lenge for ever and play, _abide._ There mys nor mourning come never--here, _where: wrong._ Here was a forser for thee in faye, _strong-box: faith._ If thou wert a gentle jeweller.
"But jeweller gente, if thou shalt lose Thy joy for a gem that thee was lef, _had left thee._ Me thinks thee put in a mad purpose, And busiest thee about a reason bref.

_poor object._ For that thou lostest was but a rose, That flowered and failed as kynd hit gef.

_nature gave it._ Now through kind of the chest that it gan close, _nature._ To a pearl of price it is put in pref;[26] And thou hast called thy wyrde a thef, _doom, fate: theft._ That ought of nought has made thee, clear! _something of nothing._ Thou blamest the bote of thy mischef: _remedy: hurt._ Thou art no kynde jeweller." _natural, reasonable._ When the father pours out his gladness at the sight of her, she rejoins in these words: "I hold that jeweller little to praise That loves well that he sees with eye; And much to blame, and uncortoyse, _uncourteous._ That leves our Lord would make a lie, _believes._ That lelly hyghte your life to raise _who truly promised._ Though fortune did your flesh to die; _caused._ To set his words full westernays[27] That love no thing but ye it syghe! _see._ And that is a point of surquedrie, _presumption._ That each good man may evil beseem, _ill become._ To leve no tale be true to tryghe, _trust in._ But that his one skill may deme."[28] Much conversation follows, the glorified daughter rebuking and instructing her father.

He prays for a sight of the heavenly city of which she has been speaking, and she tells him to walk along the bank until he comes to a hill.

In recording what he saw from the hill, he follows the description of the New Jerusalem given in the Book of the Revelation.