The "Salve Regina" or "Hail Holy Queen" is a Christian hymn and prayer to the Virgin Mary. As such it is a Marian hymn. The term Christian means belonging to Christ and is derived from the Greek noun Χριστός Khristós which means anointed one, which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written Messiah), (and in Arabic it is pronounced Maseeh مسيح). Christian is primarily an adjective, describing an object associated... A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to a god. ... Prayer is an effort to communicate with God, or to some deity or deities, or another form of spiritual entity, or otherwise, either to offer praise, to make a request, or simply to express ones thoughts and emotions. ... The term Virgin Mary has several different meanings: For the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary, see Mary, the mother of Jesus. ... Hymns to Mary are Christian hymns focused on Mary, the Mother of Jesus. ...

The work was composed during the Middle Ages and originally appeared in Latin, the prevalent language of Western Christianity during medieval times. Traditionally it has been sung in Latin, though many translations exist. These are often used as spoken prayers. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

Original Latin Text

Salve Regina, Mater Misericordiae,

Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, Salve!

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii [H]evae,

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes,

In hac lacrimarum valle.

Ea ergo, Advocata nostra,

Illos tuos misericordes oculous ad nos converte

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

Nobis, post hoc exilium, ostende,

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Translations

Variations exist among most translations.

• English:

Hail Holy Queen, Mother Merciful
Our life our sweetness and our hope!
To thee do we cry, exiled chidren of Eve,
To thee do we lend up our sighs,
Weeping and mourning in this valley of tears.
The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Turn, then, our advocate,
Thine eyes of mercy and this after our exile
Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Oh clement, oh loving, oh sweet Virgin Mary.

• French (francais)

Background and history

Salve Regina is predominantly used in the Catholic Church, typically around feast days like the Assumption or Immaculate Conception. However, as a hymn it is less used than in the past due to the reforms of Vatican II and the subsequent explosion of vernacular hymns. As a piece of music, it is extremely old, an example of the Gregorian chant of the Middle Ages; the tune may date back as far as the 11th century. The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ... An assumption is a proposition that is assumed, i. ... The Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic doctrine which asserts that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was preserved by God from the stain of original sin at the time of her own conception. ... A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to a god. ... The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... See also hymn - a program to decrypt iTunes music files. ... Gregorian chant is also known as plainchant or plainsong, and is a form of monophonic, unaccompanied singing, which was developed in the Catholic church, mainly during the period 800-1000. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

The origin of this prayer is unclear, but it was set down in its current form at the Abbey of Cluny in the 12th century, and has been widely used in Catholic liturgy since that time. It is commonly said after the completion of the rosary. Liturgically, it is one of four prescribed Marian anthems recited after the office of compline. Cluny nowadays The town of Cluny or Clugny lies in the modern-day département of Saône-et-Loire in the région of France, near Mâcon. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... From the Greek word λειτουργια, which can be transliterated as leitourgia, meaning the work of the people, a liturgy comprises a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion; it may refer to, or include, an elaborate formal ritual (such as the Catholic Mass), a daily activity... Our Lady of Lourdes - Mary appearing at Lourdes with Rosary Beads The Rosary (its name comes from the Latin rosarium, meaning crown of roses), is an important and traditional devotion of the Roman Catholic Church, combining prayer and meditation in sequences of ten Hail Marys, each sequence being called a... An office is a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organisation with specific duties attached to it (see officer, office-holder, official); the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one... Compline is the final service of the day in the Catholic tradition. ...

See also

• Mariology