A father, mourning the loss of his “perle” (pearl), falls asleep in a garden; in his dream he encounters the ‘Pearl-maiden’—a beautiful and heavenly woman—standing across a stream in a strange landscape. In response to his questioning and attempts to obtain her, she answers with Christian doctrine. Eventually she shows him an image of the Heavenly City, and herself as part of the retinue of Christ the Lamb. When the Dreamer attempts to cross the stream, he awakens suddenly from his dream and reflects on its significance.
Source: Pearl (poem) – Wikipedia
Tim B.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_in_the_Middle_Ages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawain_Poet