The Church ends each day by turning to the Virgin Mary: after Night Prayer, one of four Marian antiphons is sung, changing with the seasons of the year. They are the Alma Redemptoris Mater in Advent and Christmas, the Ave Regina Caelorum from February to Holy Week, the Regina Caeli in Easter time, and the Salve Regina for the rest of the year. Below are the Latin and English texts, when each is sung, and their history.
The four antiphons and their seasons
| Antiphon | Season (traditional) | English title |
|---|---|---|
| Alma Redemptoris Mater | Advent until the Presentation (February 2) | Loving Mother of the Redeemer |
| Ave Regina Caelorum | February 2 until Holy Week | Hail, O Queen of Heaven |
| Regina Caeli | Easter until Pentecost | Queen of Heaven, rejoice |
| Salve Regina | Trinity Sunday until Advent | Hail, Holy Queen |
In the Liturgy of the Hours today any of these, or another approved Marian hymn, may be used, but many communities keep the traditional seasons.
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Sung from the beginning of Advent through the Christmas season to February 2.
Alma Redemptoris Mater, quæ pervia cœli porta manes,
Et stella maris, succurre cadenti;
Surgere qui curat populo; tu quæ genuisti,
Natura mirante tuum sanctum genitorem:
Virgo priùs ac posteriús, Gabrielis ab ore
Sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.
In English, from William Gahan’s Complete Manual of Catholic Piety:
Mother of Jesus, heaven’s open gate,
Star of the Sea, support the falling state
Of mortals: thou, whose womb thy maker bore,
And yet, strange thing! a virgin as before;
Who didst from Gabriel’s hail! the news receive,
Repenting sinners by thy prayers relieve.
It is attributed to Hermann of Reichenau (Hermannus Contractus, 1013–1054), a Benedictine monk crippled from birth who became one of the most learned men of his age. Its Advent and Christmas themes are the Annunciation, “Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud Ave,” and the wonder that the Virgin bore her own Creator.
Ave Regina Caelorum
Sung from the Presentation (February 2) until Wednesday of Holy Week.
Ave, Regina cælorum,
ave, Domina angelorum,
salve radix, salve porta
ex qua mundo lux est orta.
Gaude, Virgo gloriosa,
super omnes speciosa,
valde, o valde decora,
et pro nobis Christum exora.
In English, from Blessed Be God (1925):
Hail! O Queen of heav’n enthron’d!
Hail! by angels mistress own’d!
Root of Jesse, Gate of morn,
Whence the world’s true Light was born.
Glorious Virgin! joy to thee,
Loveliest whom in heaven they see.
Fairest thou where all are fair!
Plead with Christ our sins to spare.
This twelfth-century antiphon greets Mary as Queen of heaven and of the angels, “root of Jesse” and “gate” through which Christ, the Light of the world, was born.
Regina Caeli
Sung from Easter until Pentecost, and in Easter time it also replaces the Angelus. See the Regina Caeli for the full text in Latin and English.
Salve Regina
Sung for the rest of the year, from Trinity Sunday until Advent, and prayed at the end of the Rosary. See the Hail Holy Queen for the full text in Latin and English.
Why the Church ends the day with Mary
Night Prayer ends the Church’s day of prayer. Before sleep, the faithful entrust themselves to the Mother of God, as children turn to their mother at night. The custom of singing a Marian antiphon after Compline spread from the Franciscans in the thirteenth century and became part of the Roman Breviary. See Compline.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four Marian antiphons?
Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina Caelorum, Regina Caeli and Salve Regina, sung after Night Prayer according to the season.
When is the Alma Redemptoris Mater sung?
Traditionally from the start of Advent until February 2, the feast of the Presentation.
Who wrote the Alma Redemptoris Mater?
It is attributed to Hermann of Reichenau, an eleventh-century Benedictine monk.
More Marian prayers and hymns
Texts and sources
- Alma Redemptoris Mater: Latin and English from William Gahan, The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety, public domain (Project Gutenberg).
- Ave Regina Caelorum: Latin from Latin Wikisource; English from C. J. Callan and J. A. McHugh, Blessed Be God (1925), public domain (Wikisource).