The Regina Coeli

 

The Regina Coeli is an ancient hymn and one of the four Marian antiphons that are prescribed to be sung in the Liturgy of the Hours after vespers or Compline.  This beautiful antiphon goes back at least to the 12th century, although there is a pious legend that holds that St. Gregory the Great, who died in the year 604 AD, heard it being sung by angels on an Easter morning in Rome.  More information on the Regina Coeli can be found in this helpful article from the Marian Library.

 

The text below is my translation from the French of St. Louis de Montfort’s own hymnic expansion of this traditional prayer.

O Great Queen of Heaven,
May your loving heart,
Be no longer in sadness,
Let it leap in joyfulness,
Jesus is Risen.
O truth most sweet!
Let us all sing Alleluia!
And then, Ave Maria!

Our sins are erased,
The demons are struck down,
Jesus clothed with glory
Has the victory o’er them all.
Those proud ones are brought low,
They will not rise up again.
Let us all sing Alleluia!
And then, Ave Maria!

He has closed the hells,
Pulled our fathers out of fetters,
Opened up eternal glory,
Established universal peace.
Finally, Jesus is victorious
For the salvation of the sinner.
Let us all sing Alleluia!
And then, Ave Maria!

O Mother of fair love,
Leap with delight on this day.
May the angels, and may men,
And all of us, just as we are,
All responding each in turn
Solemnize this day
In singing Alleluia!
And then, Ave Maria!

O worthy Mother of God,
Let all praise you in every place,
O Virgin most glorious,
O a thousand times blessed
In having borne, you yourself,
This great King of majesty.
Let us all sing Alleluia!
And then, Ave Maria!

Obtain for us from Jesus
A share in all his virtues,
A share in his new life,
So that each one shall proclaim
Through all eternity:
Jesus is risen.
In singing Alleluia!
And then, Ave Maria!