How then did you generate the query string in Perl? Did you use a here-doc? Some variations of here-doc handle escapes (and interpolation).
I think the point choroba is making is that a double-quote string constructor processes escapes (and also interpolates):
c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $sq = '\Quick and \Easy \Upper \Limit \\UTTER \\LAUGH \Wow';
print qq{>$sq<};
"
>\Quick and \Easy \Upper \Limit \UTTER \LAUGH \Wow<
c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $dq = qq{\Quick and \Easy \Upper \Limit \\UTTER \\LAUGH \Wow};
print qq{>$dq<};
"
Unrecognized escape \W passed through at -e line 1.
>uick\ and\ asy PPER imit \utter \laugh wow<
(Do you have warnings enabled?)
Give a man a fish: <%-{-{-{-<
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