Ave Regina caelorum

The Ave Regina caelorum is sung as the concluding antiphon in each of the Hours of the Daily Office during the pre-Lent and Lenten seasons, i.e. from the Feast of the Presentation (2nd February) until Maundy Thursday.

It appears to be of monastic origin but the author is unknown (dating from around the 12th century). Herman Contractus (+1054) is often suggested as the author, for he wrote several popular Marian antiphons around then. This antiphon is one of the traditional concluding antiphons for Compline in use since the 13th century. It is traditionally recited from the Feast of the Purification (Feb. 2) until Wednesday in Holy Week. The traditional collect, which is not a part of the antiphon proper, is also given below. As noted by St. Jerome, the versicle and response originally appeared in the writings of St. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373).

Oremus
Concede, misericors Deus, fragilitati nostrae praesidium; ut, qui sanctae Dei Genetricis memoriam agimus; intercessionis eius auxilio, a nostris iniquitatibus resurgamus. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Let us pray
Grant, O merciful God, to our weak natures Thy protection, that we who commemorate the holy Mother of God may, by the help of her intercession, arise from our iniquities. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

From the Roman Breviary.

Musical settings at CPDL

Anonymous Ambrosian Chant Gregorian Chant Trent codex 87 1470's. ATT, with Gloria in top voice. Trent 89 SATTB Trent 91 ATB Musica colonial archive SATB Gregor Aichinger a 3 SST a 4 (I) SATB a 4 (II) SATB Felice Anerio a 4 (I) SATB a 4 (II) SATB Giovanni Francesco Anerio SATB All editions withdrawn Giovanni Bassano a 8 AATT.TTTB or SATB.ATTB a 12 ATTB.ATBB.TBBB or SATB.SATB.SATB William Byrd ATTB Francesco Cavalli TB & bc Mark Chapman SSSAAA Marc-Antoine Charpentier Ave Regina coelorum, H 19 SMBar & bc. Marc-Antoine Charpentier Solo SS & bc; identical? to Ave regina caelorum, H. 22 (Marc-Antoine Charpentier) arr. SATB a Capp. H 45 Antienne a la Vierge Ave Regina coelorum à 4 voix & 2 dessus de vln. Sebastiano Cherici SAB & bc Carlo Cozzi SAB & bc Guillaume Dufay (3 settings in all) a 3 STT, STB or ATB, also arr. SATB a 4 SATB John Dunstable SAT L. B. Est SAB Carlotta Ferrari SSA Fabio Fresi SAAT Walter Frye ATB (a different text) Robert Führer I SATB & orchestra II SATB Johann Joseph Fux SATB Andrea Gabrieli SATB.ATTB or ATBB.TBBB Mariano Garau a 2 ST a 4 SATB Carlo Gesualdo SATTB Georges Guiraud unison (children alternating with men) & organ Nicolas Gombert SATTB Charles Gounod Ave Regina, CG 103 ST & organ Ave Regina, CG 120 TTBB Ave Regina, CG 121 TTBB Ave Regina, CG 134 SATB Alessandro Grandi SSATB & bc Ciro Grassi SSA Francisco Guerrero SATB Johann Michael Haydn Ave Regina caelorum, MH 140 SATB.SATB

Karl Kempter SAB Pierre de la Rue SATB Orlando di Lasso (disambiguation page) a 3 STB (alternative Latin text) a 4 SATB a 5 SSATB a 6, first published 1582; CCCLVIII in 1604 collection SSATTB a 6, CCCLIX in 1604 collection SAATBB Isabella Leonarda ATTB Alonso Lobo SSATB or AATBB Antonio Lotti SATB Marco Molinari SATB Cristóbal de Morales SAATB Sigismund Ritter von Neukomm SSA José Maurício Nunes Garcia SATB Juan Gutierrez de Padilla SATB.SATB Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 5 or 6 settings in all) a 4 SSSA a 5 SATTB a 8 SSAT.ATTB Fabrizio Perone SATB Peter Philips SSATB Costanzo Porta 4 vv SATB Ave Regina caelorum cum 5 vocibus ATTBB Leonel Power ATB Josef Rheinberger Op. 140 Nr. 4 SATB (organ ad lib.) a duplicate? of: 5 Hymnen Op. 140 Giovanni Battista Riccio Solo voice & bc Giovanni Antonio Rigatti S solo & continuo Andrea Rota a 6 SAATTB a 8 SATB.SATB Giovanni Rovetta SB and continuo SS and continuo TTB and continuo Georg Valentin Röder from Vespers, SATB with orchestra Antonio Sacchini S & org. Juan García de Salazar SATB Johannes Nepomuk Skraup SATB & bc Francesco Soriano SATB Francisco Valls SATB.SATB Tomás Luis de Victoria a 5 SAATB a 8 SATB.SATB Scott Villard SATB Samuel Webbe SATB SS SATB, with SATB soli Adrian Willaert SATB (not to be confused with Ave Regina coelorum, Mater…) Jan Dismas Zelenka Ave Regina coelorum No. 4, ZWV 128.4 SATB & bc

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• Johann Kaspar Aiblinger — Ave Regina I
• Johann Kaspar Aiblinger — Ave Regina II
• Felice Anerio — Ave Regina caelorum a 8
• Jacques-Louis Battmann — Ave Regina caelorum
• Giacomo Benincasa — Ave Regina caelorum
• Giuseppe Antonio Bernabei — Ave Regina caelorum
• Hugo de la Chapelle — Ave regina
• Giovanni Battista Chinelli — Ave Regina caelorum
• Guillaume Dufay — Ave Regina coelorum II
• Costanzo Festa — Ave regina
• Mariano Garau — Ave Regina coelorum 2020
• Mariano Garau — Ave Regina coelorum III
• Elzear Genet — Ave Regina caelorum
• Eliseo Ghibel — Ave regina
• Charles Gounod — Ave Regina, CG 119
• Peter Griesbacher — Ave Regina caelorum
• Bernard Hellebusch — Ave, Regina coelorum no. 1
• Jacobus de Kerle — Ave regina
• Pierre La Fage — Ave regina caelorum
• Jacquet de Mantua — Ave regina
• Peter Philips — Ave Regina caelorum a 5
• Andreas de Silva — Ave regina caelorum
• Maximilian Stadler — Ave, Regina coelorum

Text and translations

The text of this antiphon appears to have remained fairly unchanged since the 12th century, small variants being noted below. Dufay's setting is unique in ending with an Alleluia, which probably stems from the earlier use of the antiphon at the Annunciation.

Latin text Ave Regina coelorum, Ave Domina Angelorum: Salve radix, salve porta, [or Salve, radix sancta,] Ex qua mundo lux est orta: Gaude Virgo gloriosa, Super omnes speciosa, Vale, o valde decora, Et pro nobis Christum [semper] exora. Dignare me laudare te Virgo sacrata Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos. Alternative Latin text Ave regina caelorum, ave domina angelorum, vale stirps sancta, per quam mundi lux est orta. Vale gloriosa super omnes speciosa, salve vale decora et pro nobis semper Christum exora.

English translation 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. V. Allow me to praise thee, holy Virgin. R. Give me strength against thy enemies. Translation by Edward Caswall from http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/BVM/AveRegina.html   Spanish translation Salve, reina de los cielos, Salve, señora de los ángeles, Salve, raíz santa, de quien nació la luz al mundo. Alégrate, Virgen gloriosa, entre todas la más bella. Salve a tí, la más hermosa. Ruega siempre a Cristo por nosotros.

Vietnamese translation Compline Kính lạy Bà, Vị Nữ Hoàng Thiên Quốc, Lạy Nữ Vương trên chín phẩm thiên thần, Là Cội Thiêng là Cửa Trời vinh phúc, Đem Vầng Hồng rực rỡ xuống trần gian. Mừng vui lên, mừng vui lên Trinh Nữ, Bà hiển vinh, Bà diễm lệ khôn tày. Bên toà Chúa Kitô, Ngôi Thánh Tử, Cúi lạy Bà, xin nguyện giúp cầu thay.