Hymn of the Week: ‘Regina Coeli’

This great Easter season hymn of Marian devotion and rejoicing returns!  It was sung last weekend at the Vatican:

Some background:

The Regina Cæli or Regina Cœli (“Queen of Heaven“) is an ancient Latin Marian Hymn of the Christian Church.

It is one of the four seasonal Marian antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, prescribed to be sung or recited in the Liturgy of the Hours at the conclusion of the last of the hours to be prayed in common that day, typically night prayer (Compline or Vespers). Any one of these four or of other suitable antiphons may now be sung at any time of the liturgical year. The Regina Coeli is sung or recited in place of the Angelus during the Easter season, from Easter Sunday until Pentecost.

…While the authorship of the Regina Caeli is unknown, the hymn has been traced back to the 12th century. It was in Franciscan use, after Compline, in the first half of the following century. According to Catholic Tradition St Gregory the Great heard angels chanting the first three lines one Easter morning in Rome, while following barefoot in a great religious procession of the icon of the Virgin painted by Luke the Evangelist. He was thereupon inspired to add the fourth line.

The Latin translation:

℣. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia:

℟. The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia.

℣. Has risen, as He said, alleluia.

℟. Pray for us to God, alleluia.

℣. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.

℟. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

℣. Let us pray:

O God, who through the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ

gave rejoicing to the world

grant, we pray, that through his Mother, the Virgin Mary,

we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

We sing this every Sunday during the Easter season, during communion.