The Hail Holy Queen in Spanish is La Salve, which begins “Dios te salve, Reina y Madre de misericordia, vida, dulzura y esperanza nuestra”: “Hail, Queen and Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.” Spanish-speaking Catholics pray it at the end of the Rosary, after Mass in many parishes, and at the end of the day, and it is sung at Marian shrines from Spain to Mexico and the Philippines. Below is the full traditional Spanish text from the classic catechism of Gaspar Astete, a line-by-line translation, pronunciation tips, and the Hail Holy Queen in English and Latin.
La Salve in Spanish
The traditional text, as given in Gaspar Astete’s Catecismo de la Doctrina Cristiana (1599):
Dios te salve, Reina y Madre de misericordia, vida, dulzura y esperanza nuestra;
Dios te salve.
A ti llamamos los desterrados hijos de Eva; a ti suspiramos, gimiendo y llorando en este valle de lágrimas.
Ea, pues, Señora, abogada nuestra, vuelve a nosotros esos tus ojos misericordiosos; y después de este destierro muéstranos a Jesús, fruto bendito de tu vientre.
¡Oh clementísima, oh piadosa, oh dulce Virgen María!
Ruega por nos, santa Madre de Dios, para que seamos dignos de las promesas de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.
Amén.
Today’s wording is nearly the same. Many people now say “Ruega por nosotros” instead of the older “Ruega por nos,” and end “para que seamos dignos de alcanzar las promesas de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.”
Line-by-line translation
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Dios te salve, Reina y Madre de misericordia | Hail, Queen and Mother of mercy |
| vida, dulzura y esperanza nuestra | our life, our sweetness and our hope |
| A ti llamamos los desterrados hijos de Eva | To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve |
| a ti suspiramos, gimiendo y llorando | to you we sigh, mourning and weeping |
| en este valle de lágrimas | in this valley of tears |
| Ea, pues, Señora, abogada nuestra | Turn then, Lady, our advocate |
| vuelve a nosotros esos tus ojos misericordiosos | your eyes of mercy toward us |
| y después de este destierro muéstranos a Jesús | and after this exile show us Jesus |
| fruto bendito de tu vientre | the blessed fruit of your womb |
| ¡Oh clementísima, oh piadosa, oh dulce Virgen María! | O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! |
| Ruega por nos, santa Madre de Dios | Pray for us, holy Mother of God |
| para que seamos dignos de las promesas de nuestro Señor Jesucristo | that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ |
How to pronounce it
- Dios te salve (dee-OHS teh SAHL-veh), Reina (RAY-nah), misericordia (mee-seh-ree-KOHR-dee-ah).
- dulzura (dool-SOO-rah), esperanza (ehs-peh-RAHN-sah).
- llorando (yoh-RAHN-doh): “ll” sounds like “y”; lágrimas (LAH-gree-mahs).
- Jesús (heh-SOOS): “j” is a strong “h.”
The Hail Holy Queen in English
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy! Hail, 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 vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us.
And after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
The Salve Regina in Latin
Salve, Regína,
Mater misericórdiæ
vita, dulcédo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamámus,
éxsules filii Evæ,
Ad te suspirámus geméntes et flentes
in hac lacrimárum valle.
Eia ergo, advocáta nostra,
illos tuos misericórdes óculos
ad nos convérte.
Et Iesum, benedíctum fructum
ventris tui,
nobis, post hoc exsílium osténde.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo María.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hail Holy Queen called in Spanish?
La Salve, from the Latin Salve Regina. It begins “Dios te salve, Reina y Madre.”
When is the Salve prayed?
At the end of the Rosary, at night prayer, and often sung after Mass or at Marian processions.
Who wrote the Salve Regina?
It dates from the 11th century and is often attributed to Hermann of Reichenau; St. Bernard is said to have added the closing “O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.”
More prayers in Spanish
- Catholic prayers in Spanish
- Hail Mary in Spanish
- Rosary prayers in Spanish
- Our Father in Spanish
- Apostles’ Creed in Spanish
- Hail, Holy Queen
Texts and sources
- Gaspar Astete, Catecismo de la Doctrina Cristiana (1599), Valladolid edition of 1787, Spanish Wikisource; spelling and accents modernized.
- English: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), public domain (Wikisource).
- Latin: Latin Wikisource.