Latin · Original
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Ave Maria
The Hail Mary
Scriptural portions: 1st century. Petition added: c. 1050. Final form: 1568 (Pius V).
The angel Gabriel's greeting (Lk 1:28), Elizabeth's blessing (Lk 1:42), and the Church's petition. Recited 53 times in a single Rosary.
The Prayer · Multiple Versions
English
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Spanish
Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia; el Señor es contigo. Bendita Tú eres entre todas las mujeres, y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre, Jesús. Santa María, Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros, pecadores, ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte. Amén
Italian
Ave, o Maria, piena di grazia, il Signore è con te. Tu sei benedetta fra le donne e benedetto è il frutto del tuo seno, Gesù. Santa Maria, Madre di Dio, prega per noi peccatori, adesso e nell'ora della nostra morte. Amen.
Portuguese
Avé Maria, cheia de graça, o Senhor é convosco, bendita sois vós entre as mulheres e bendito é o fruto do vosso ventre, Jesus. Santa Maria, Mãe de Deus, rogai por nós pecadores, agora e na hora da nossa morte. Ámen
French
Je vous salue, Marie, pleine de grâce; Le Seigneur est avec vous; Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes; Et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni. Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu, Priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs Maintenant et à l’heure de notre mort. Amen.
German
Gegrüßet seist du, Maria, voll der Gnade, der Herr ist mit dir. Du bist gebenedeit unter den Frauen, und gebenedeit ist die Frucht deines Leibes, Jesus. Heilige Maria, Mutter Gottes, bitte für uns Sünder, jetzt und in der Stunde unseres Todes. Amen.
Polish
Zdrowaś Maryjo, łaski pełna, Pan z Tobą, błogosławionaś Ty między niewiastami, i błogosławiony owoc żywota Twojego, Jezus. Święta Maryjo, Matko Boża, módl się za nami grzesznymi teraz i w godzinę śmierci naszej. Amen
When the Prayer is Said
53 times in a Rosary; in the Angelus; in the Memorare; in the Three Hail Marys devotion at morning and evening; on every set of beads worn by a Catholic.
History & Background
The first part — 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb' — combines Gabriel's salutation at the Annunciation (Lk 1:28) with Elizabeth's greeting at the Visitation (Lk 1:42).
The name 'Jesus' was added to the end of the scriptural portion around the 12th century. The petition — 'Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death' — was added in stages between 1050 and 1500, and given its final form in the Roman Breviary of Pius V in 1568.
The prayer is recited 53 times in a single Rosary (5 decades of 10 plus three on the introductory tail), 153 times in a full traditional Rosary of fifteen decades.