Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
hail, 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.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen.
CATHOLIC 11TH CENTURY AD
The Salve Regina
Also known as Hail Holy Queen · Salve Regina Mater Misericordiae
Other forms
Latin (Salve Regina)
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.
Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix,
ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Amen.
About this prayer
The Salve Regina is one of the four Marian antiphons of the Catholic Church, sung or recited at the conclusion of Compline (Night Prayer) from Trinity Sunday to the first Sunday of Advent. Its authorship is disputed; it is traditionally attributed to Herman of Reichenau (1013-1054 AD), a Benedictine monk, though some scholars have attributed it to Adhémar of Monteil or Peter of Mesonzo. The prayer addresses Mary as Queen, Mother of Mercy, and advocate, and asks her to show the faithful the fruit of her womb, Jesus, after this exile. It is also said at the end of the Rosary and was long said at the end of Low Mass. The prayer was added to the Rosary by Pope Leo XIII in the late 19th century.
When it's said
The Salve Regina is sung at Compline from Trinity Sunday until Advent in the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, making it one of the most frequently sung Marian antiphons in monastic life. It is also said at the end of each Rosary. It was traditionally said at the end of Low Mass until the liturgical reforms of the 1960s. Many Catholics say it as part of their evening devotions.
Notes on the text
The prayer refers to the faithful as 'banished children of Eve,' reflecting the theology that humanity lives in exile from Eden following the Fall, and that Mary's intercession provides a path back to God. The title 'Mother of Mercy' and the phrase 'our life, our sweetness, and our hope' have made this one of the most beloved Marian prayers in the Catholic tradition.
Common questions
What does 'Salve Regina' mean?
'Salve Regina' is Latin for 'Hail, Queen,' the opening words of the prayer. The full opening is 'Salve Regina, mater misericordiae': 'Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy.' The prayer is one of the four major Marian antiphons of the Roman Catholic liturgical year, sung at the end of Night Prayer (Compline) from Trinity Sunday to the start of Advent.
Who wrote the Salve Regina?
The prayer is traditionally attributed to Hermann of Reichenau (1013-1054 AD), an 11th-century Benedictine monk who lived with severe physical disability and composed several Latin hymns. Earlier attributions to Petrus of Monsoro or Adhemar of Le Puy are now considered legendary. The prayer entered widespread use in the 12th century AD when it was adopted by the Cistercian order; it became one of the four standard Marian antiphons by the 13th century.
Why do Catholics call Mary 'our life, our sweetness, and our hope'?
These titles, which appear in the Salve Regina, are devotional rather than dogmatic. Catholic theology holds that Christ alone is the source of life, sweetness, and hope; Mary participates in his work as the mother of Christ and the model of Christian discipleship. The prayer addresses Mary in this way to express trust in her intercession on behalf of those who pray to her, asking her to turn 'thine eyes of mercy toward us' rather than to be herself the source of mercy.
Is the Salve Regina sung in the same way everywhere?
There are two main musical settings used in Catholic worship: a longer, more ornate version known as the 'Solemn Tone' and a shorter 'Simple Tone' for daily use. Many Cistercian and Benedictine monasteries sing the Solemn Tone at the end of Compline as the closing prayer of each day. Local traditions and modern settings also exist, but the Gregorian Simple Tone remains the most widely sung form in Catholic communities worldwide.
Source
Attributed to Herman of Reichenau, 11th century AD. Text from F.X. Lasance, The Blessed Sacrament Book, 1913. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.