“Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above” is a joyful hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a free English version of the ancient prayer Salve Regina, with its famous refrain “Salve, salve, salve Regina!” It has been sung in Catholic parishes for well over a century, and the film Sister Act (1992) made it known around the world. Below are the full lyrics from an 1884 Catholic hymnal, the hymn’s origin, its meaning verse by verse, and when it is sung.
The lyrics
As printed in The Roman Hymnal (1884). The refrain, “Triumph all ye Cherubim…,” is sung after every verse.
Hail! holy Queen enthron’d above,
O Maria!
Hail! Mother of mercy and of love,
O Maria!
Triumph all ye Cherubim,
Sing with us, ye Seraphim,
Heav’n and earth resound the hymn:
Salve, salve, salve Regina!
Our life, our sweetness here below,
O Maria!
Our hope in sorrow and in woe,
O Maria! Triumph, etc.
To thee we cry, poor sons of Eve,
O Maria!
To thee we sigh, we mourn, we grieve,
O Maria! Triumph, etc.
This earth is but a vale of tears,
O Maria!
A place of banishment, of fears,
O Maria! Triumph, etc.
Turn, then, most gracious Advocate,
O Maria!
Tow’rds us thine eyes compassionate,
O Maria! Triumph, etc.
When this our exile is complete,
O Maria!
Show us thy womb-born Jesus sweet,
O Maria! Triumph, etc.
O clement, gracious, Mother sweet,
O Maria!
O Virgin Mary, we entreat,
O Maria! Triumph, etc.
Where the hymn comes from
The hymn grows from the Salve Regina (“Hail, Holy Queen”), the eleventh-century antiphon prayed at the end of the Rosary and of Night Prayer. In 1687 a German priest, Johann Georg Seidenbusch, wrote a German hymn based on it, Gegrüßet seist du, Königin, known in Latin as Salve Regina coelitum. An anonymous English translation, with the Latin refrain, appeared in Catholic hymnals in the nineteenth century, including The Roman Hymnal of 1884.
See the original prayer: Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina).
The meaning, verse by verse
- Queen and Mother: Mary reigns in heaven as Queen and is “Mother of mercy and of love.”
- Our life, our sweetness and our hope: the titles of the Salve Regina.
- Poor sons of Eve: we cry to her from our exile, mourning and weeping.
- This vale of tears: life on earth is a place of exile and fear.
- Most gracious Advocate: we ask her to turn her merciful eyes toward us.
- Show us Jesus: when our exile ends, may she show us “the blessed fruit of thy womb.”
- O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary: the closing words of the Salve Regina.
When is it sung?
- On Marian feasts, especially the Assumption (August 15) and the Queenship of Mary (August 22).
- In May and October, the months of Mary and of the Rosary.
- At the end of Mass or a Rosary, as a hymn of praise to Our Lady.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above the same as the Salve Regina?
It is a hymn based on the Salve Regina, following its themes verse by verse, with a Latin refrain.
What does “Salve Regina” mean?
“Hail, Queen.”
Who wrote Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above?
It comes from a 1687 German hymn by Johann Georg Seidenbusch; the English translator is unknown.
More Marian hymns and prayers
- Catholic hymns: lyrics and meaning
- Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
- Ave Maris Stella
- Regina Caeli
- Assumption of Mary
- Rosary prayers
- Faith of Our Fathers
Texts and sources
- Lyrics: The Roman Hymnal (1884), edited by John B. Young, public domain (Wikisource).