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Hail, Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
The Hail Holy Queen prayer (Salve Regina): full text in English, its history, what "valley of tears" means, and why it ends every Rosary.
Part of the Prayers To Mary prayer collection.
In brief
The Hail Holy Queen prayer (Salve Regina): full text in English, its history, what "valley of tears" means, and why it ends every Rosary.
Prayer: Hail, Holy Queen
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.
Source note: Trad. (Salve Regina, 11th century)
Hail, Holy Queen: a prayer of hope and intercession
Pray the Hail, Holy Queen when you are finishing the Rosary or when you want to bring sorrow, exile and hope before God through Mary's intercession. Read the full prayer slowly, especially the final request to be shown Jesus, the blessed fruit of Mary's womb.
The English wording may vary by translation, so the page identifies the traditional Salve Regina and keeps the text readable. Marian intercession is presented as prayer to God with Mary, not as a promise or substitute for Christ.
What "valley of tears" means
The prayer is honest: life contains real weeping, and Christianity never asks you to pretend otherwise. Exile language — "banished children" — comes from Eden: we are made for a garden we don't currently live in. The Salve's move is to cry toward someone: a Mother with "eyes of mercy" who turns, looks, and eventually shows us "the blessed fruit" — Jesus. The prayer ends not at the valley but at the destination.
Its history in one paragraph
Traditionally linked to Hermann of Reichenau (†1054), the Salve Regina spread through the Cistercians and Dominicans until it became the anthem of Marian devotion: sung after Compline, carried by sailors (Columbus's crews sang it nightly), and placed at the end of every Rosary, where it remains.
Keep praying
Hail Mary — line by line
- The original Latin: Salve Regina — with pronunciation guide
- All Rosary prayer texts