MIRACULOUS MIRACLES™

Prayer — Marian Prayers

Salve Regina

Hail, Holy Queen

c. 1050, attributed to Hermann of Reichenau

The closing antiphon of every Rosary — the Church's salutation to Mary as Queen, Mother, advocate, and our hope.

The Prayer · Multiple Versions
Latin · Original
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae,
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Hevae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
English
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Spanish
Dios te salve, Reina
y Madre de misericordia,
vida, dulzura y esperanza nuestra;
Dios te salve.
A ti llamamos
los desterrados hijos de Eva;
a ti suspiramos, gimiendo y llorando
en este valle de lágrimas.
Ea, pues, Señora, abogada nuestra,
vuelve a nosotros esos tus ojos
misericordiosos;
y después de este destierro,
muéstranos a Jesús,
fruto bendito de tu vientre.
¡Oh, clementísima, oh piadosa,
oh dulce Virgen María!
Italian
Salve, Regina,
madre di misericordia,
vita, dolcezza e speranza nostra, salve.
A te ricorriamo,
esuli figli di Eva;
a te sospiriamo, gementi e
piangenti in questa valle di lacrime.
Orsù dunque, avvocata nostra,
rivolgi a noi gli occhi
tuoi misericordiosi.
E mostraci, dopo questo esilio, Gesù,
il frutto benedetto del tuo Seno.
O clemente, o pia,
o dolce Vergine Maria!
Portuguese
Salve, Rainha,
mãe de misericórdia,
vida, doçura, esperança nossa, salve!
A Vós bradamos,
os degredados filhos de Eva.
A Vós suspiramos, gemendo e chorando
neste vale de lágrimas.
Eia, pois, advogada nossa,
esses Vossos olhos misericordiosos
a nós volvei.
E, depois deste desterro,
nos mostrai Jesus, bendito fruto
do Vosso ventre.
Ó clemente, ó piedosa,
ó doce Virgem Maria.
Rogai por nós, Santa Mãe de Deus,
para que sejamos dignos das promessas de Cristo.
French
Salut, ô Reine,
Mère de miséricorde,
notre vie, notre douceur, notre espérance, salut!
Nous crions vers toi,
enfants d’Ève exilés.
Vers toi nous soupirons, gémissant
et pleurant
dans cette vallée de larmes.
Ô toi, notre avocate
tourne vers nous ton regard miséricordieux.
Et, après cet exil,
montre-nous Jésus,
le fruit béni de tes entrailles.
Ô clémente, ô miséricordieuse, ô douce
Vierge Marie
German
Sei gegrüßt, o Königin,
Mutter der Barmherzigkeit,
unser Leben, unsre Wonne
und unsre Hoffnung, sei gegrüßt!
Zu dir rufen wir
verbannte Kinder Evas.
Zu dir seufzen wir trauernd und weinend
in diesem Tal der Tränen.
Wohlan denn, unsre Fürsprecherin,
wende deine barmherzigen Augen
uns zu,
und nach diesem Elend zeige uns Jesus,
die gebenedeite Frucht deines Leibes!
O gütige, o milde, o süße Jungfrau Maria!
When the Prayer is Said

At the conclusion of every Rosary; at the close of Compline from Trinity Sunday to the eve of Advent.

History & Background

The Salve Regina is traditionally attributed to Hermann of Reichenau (Hermannus Contractus, 1013–1054), the Benedictine polymath of the Abbey of Reichenau in Lake Constance — a man born so severely disabled that he could neither stand nor write without help, yet who composed astronomical treatises and the most beloved Marian antiphon of the Latin West.

The prayer is sung at the end of Compline (Night Prayer) of the Liturgy of the Hours from Trinity Sunday until the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent, and forms the closing prayer of the Rosary in the universal Catholic tradition. The Cistercians sang it in procession after Compline; the practice gradually spread to every Latin religious house.

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