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 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. In 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 efficamur promissionibus Christi. Amen. This hymn is said to be a favorite of our Lady herself by testimony of those who have reportedly seen her in visions. One account concerning this claim relates a vision St Dominic had. He was entering a corridor of the monastery to resume his midnight prayer vigil when he chanced to raise his eyes and see three beautiful ladies approach him. He knelt before the principle lady and she blessed him. Even though St Dominic recognized her, he begged her to tell him her name. The Lady replied: "I am she whom you invoke every evening: and when you say, 'Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of Mercy toward us,' I prostrate myself before my Son, entreating Him to protect this Order."