The "Salve Regina" is one of four
Marian antiphons sung at different
seasons within the Christian liturgical calendar. The Salve Regina is
sung in the time between
Trinity Sunday and the Feast of Christ the
King. In the vernacular as a prayer to
the Virgin Mary, the Hail Holy
Queen is the final prayer of the
Rosary.
The work was composed during the
Middle Ages and originally
appeared in Latin, the
prevalent language of Western Christianity
until modern times. Traditionally it has
been sung in Latin, though
many translations exist. These are often
used as spoken prayers.
] Latin
Text
- 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 exilium ostende.
- O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
In some forms, is added:
- Ora pro nobis sancta Dei Genetrix.
- Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Translations
Variations exist among most translations.
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 vale 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.
V./ Pray for us O holy Mother of God,
R./ that we may be worthy of the
promises of Christ.
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our
hope.
To you we cry, the children of Eve;
to you we send up our
sighs,
mourning and weeping in this land of exile.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us;
lead
us home at last
and show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus:
O
clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
The Divine Office offers the following
hymn as an alternative to the Latin:
Hail, our Queen and Mother blest!
Joy when all was sadness,
Life
and hope you gave mankind,
Mother of our gladness!
Children of the sinful
Eve,
Sinless Eve, befriend us,
Exiled in this vale of tears:
Strength
and comfort send us!
Pray for us, O Patroness,
Be our consolation!
Lead us home to see your
Son,
Jesus, our salvation!
Gracious are you, full of grace,
Loving as
none other,
Joy of heaven and joy of earth,
Mary, God's own
Mother!
Catholic missals generally list two or three verses similar to the
following:
Hail, Holy Queen enthroned above, O Maria!
Hail, Mother of mercy and
of love, O Maria!
Triumph all ye cherubim!
Sing with us ye
seraphim!
Heaven and earth resound the hymn!
Salve, salve, salve,
Regina!
Our life, our sweetness here below, O Maria!
Our hope in sorrow and in
woe, O Maria!
Triumph all ye cherubim!
Sing with us ye seraphim!
Heaven
and earth resound the hymn!
Salve, salve, salve, Regina!
And when our last breath leaves us, O Maria!
Show us thy son Christ Jesus,
O Maria!
Triumph all ye cherubim!
Sing with us ye seraphim!
Heaven and
earth resound the hymn!
Salve, salve, salve, Regina!
As with many hymns, many more verses exist, but are rarely printed or sung.
T
he Latin text from which these verses are translated is:
Salve Regina coelitum, O Maria!
Sors unica terrigenum, O
Maria!
Jubilate, Cherubim,
Exsultate, Seraphim!
Consonante
perpetim:
Salve, Salve, Salve Regina.
Mater misericordiae, O Maria!
Dulcis parens clementiae, O
Maria!
Jubilate, Cherubim,
Exsultate, Seraphim!
Consonante
perpetim:
Salve, Salve, Salve Regina.
The movie Sister Act featured
lyrics in English and Latin along
these lines. The Salve Regina is predominantly used in the
Catholic Church, typically around feast days like the Assumption
or Immaculate Conception. However, as a hymn it is
less used
than in the past due to the reforms of
Vatican II
and the
subsequent explosion of vernacular
hymns. As a piece of music,
it is extremely old, an example of the
Gregorian chant of the
Middle Ages; the tune may date back as far as the 11th
century.
The origin of this prayer is unclear,
although it is usually attributed
either to St. Anselm of Lucca (d. 1080) or St. Bernard. It was
set down in its current form at the Abbey
of Cluny in
the 12th
century, and has been widely used in Catholic liturgy
since that
time. It is commonly said after the
completion of the rosary.
Liturgically, it is one of four prescribed
Marian anthems recited
after the office of
compline.