Hail, Holy Queen
The Salve Regina
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.
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.
History and meaning
The Salve Regina is a Marian antiphon from the Middle Ages. Its exact authorship is uncertain, although it has been attributed to Hermann of Reichenau and several other writers. It became part of the Church's night prayer and is now commonly prayed near the end of the Rosary.