The Prayer
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.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen.
Latin
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae,
vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Evae;
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.
V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix.
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Amen.
About this Prayer
The Salve Regina is one of the four great Marian antiphons of the Roman liturgy, traditionally sung from the Saturday before Trinity Sunday until the eve of Advent. Attributed to Blessed Hermann of Reichenau (11th c.), it has long been the Church’s evening prayer to Mary, invoking her as the “Queen of Mercy” who comforts pilgrims still journeying through “this valley of tears.”