A discharge lamp of the short arc type in which a lead pin, located within a hermetically sealed tube, is prevented from being irradiated with light. Such a construction prevents the lead pin from undergoing a temperature rise thereby preventing the destruction of the hermetically sealed tube. The discharge lamp of the short arc type includes an arc tube adjoined laterally by hermetically sealed tubes through which a lead pin, which supports an electrode, is routed. The hermetically sealed tubes are sealed by graded glass on the lead pins, and the lead pin is prevented from being irradiated with light by providing the outside surface of the hermetically sealed tube, at least in part, with a high emissivity material and then providing a reflectivity material on the exterior surface of the emissivity material.