Salve Regina

The Salve Regina is one of the four ancient Marian antiphons of the Roman Rite and is among the most beloved Marian prayers in all of Catholic tradition. It is traditionally attributed to Herman of Reichenau, an 11th-century Benedictine monk, though some early manuscripts attribute it to others, including St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The prayer expresses the condition of humanity as exiles in a valley of tears, crying out to Mary as their advocate and hope — an imagery drawn from the theology of the Fall and our longing for heaven. It was historically sung by monks and religious communities as the final prayer of Compline (night prayer), and it remains the concluding prayer of the Rosary to this day. The prayer's rich poetic language — "our life, our sweetness, and our hope" — has made it a touchstone of Catholic devotional literature for nearly a thousand years.