Queen of Heaven, rejoice

The Easter antiphon, in Latin.

From Easter Sunday to Pentecost, the Regina Caeli replaces the Angelus at morning, noon and evening, and closes Compline. It is short, joyful, and traditionally sung standing — nobody kneels in Eastertide.

In Latin

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

In English

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He whom you were worthy to bear, alleluia.
Has risen as He said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

The Prayer

O God, who through the resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
did vouchsafe to give joy to the world:
grant, we beseech You, that through His Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

About This Antiphon

Four alleluias in four lines. The Church spends forty days in a minor key and then does this for fifty — and it is addressed not to God but to a mother, telling her the news, which is a very human touch.