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Lyrics
Verse 1
Aprendí Tu nombre antes que el mío, María,
mi madre me enseñaba «Dios te salve» como enseñan a contar.
Cada noche, antes de dormir, en mi cama de niño,
yo cerraba los ojos y empezaba: Ave María… llena eres de gracia.
Sin entender del todo qué pedía mi voz pequeña,
pero sintiendo que alguien me escuchaba al otro lado del cielo.
Y así crecí, María, con Tu nombre en mi boca,
con Tu nombre, primera sílaba del día y última de la noche.
Pre-chorus
Y los años pasaron, y vinieron las tormentas,
y mil veces volví a Tu nombre cuando todo me faltaba.
Porque cuando todo se quiebra, María, cuando todo se derrumba,
yo cierro los ojos… y vuelvo a empezar…
Chorus
Ave María… (Ave María…)
llena eres de gracia.
Ruega por mí, María, ruega por los míos,
ahora y en la hora… de nuestra muerte. Amén.
Verse 2
La he rezado en hospitales con los ojos secos,
la he rezado en aeropuertos sin saber si volvería.
La he rezado por mis hijos cuando la noche se hacía larga,
y por mi propia alma, María, cuando sentí que se quebraba.
Y cada vez que la rezo, María, me parece entender un poco más
por qué te eligió el cielo para llevar al Hijo en Tus brazos.
Porque solo Tu «Sí» podía ser tan limpio, tan total, tan eterno,
que cada Ave María… el cielo se vuelve a inclinar sobre mí.
Chorus
Ave María… (Ave María…)
llena eres de gracia.
Ruega por mí, María, en mis horas oscuras,
ahora y en la hora… de nuestra muerte. Amén.
Bridge
Y sé, María, que algún día las palabras me faltarán,
que algún día mis labios no podrán pronunciar Tu nombre.
Pero sé también que en ese instante, Tú estarás conmigo,
porque eso es lo que rezo cada noche… la hora de nuestra muerte.
Y a esa hora, María, ya no tengo miedo,
porque sé que estarás allí, diciéndome: «Aquí estoy yo».
Final chorus
Ave María… (Ave María…)
llena eres de gracia.
Ruega por mí, María, en mi última hora,
ahora y en la hora… de nuestra muerte. Amén.
Tag
Ave María… (Ave María…)
Madre mía… (Madre mía…)
Llena de gracia… (llena de gracia…)
ahora y siempre… Amén.
Closing reflection
Desde la primera sílaba hasta mi última respiración,
Ave María serán las palabras más fieles de mi vida.
Y cuando todo termine, María, y los ojos no vean más este mundo,
todavía estaré diciendo… llena eres de gracia.
Outro
…desde mi cama de niño hasta mi última cama,
seguiré diciéndote lo mismo, María…
Ave María… llena eres de gracia.
Written, performed and produced by
Take it with you
The lyric sheet for this song
A single page made to be printed: the whole lyric on bone-coloured paper, with a dedication written for this song and Larry Hans's signature. To pray it, to give it away or to keep it — not to read on one more screen.
Download the sheetFan zone
The prayer of always, the one learned as a child and repeated without thinking. The song takes it and adds what is really being asked when it is prayed in earnest. It opens on a music box and travels a whole life on the same phrase repeated three times, changing only the ending: first for my own, then for the dark hours, and at the end for the final hour. The liturgical text is the old one; the music is entirely original, written deliberately so as not to lean on any known melody.
- What it's about
- The everyday prayer, keeping a whole life company.
- Its sound signature
- A music box opens the song.
- The trick in the chorus
- «pray for my own» → «in my dark hours» → «at my final hour»: family, storms and the end.
- Worth knowing
- The liturgical text is in the public domain, but the music is entirely original: the album expressly forbids leaning on the melodies of Schubert, Gounod or Bach.
Frequently asked questions
The things people ask most about this page. If something is missing, write to the address in the footer.
What is Larry Hans's «Ave María» about?
It is the traditional prayer, the one learned as a child and repeated without thinking, accompanying a whole lifetime. The song takes it and adds what is really being asked for when it is prayed in earnest.
Is it the same «Ave María» as Schubert's or Gounod's?
No. The liturgical text is the same because it is in the public domain, but the music is entirely original. The album expressly forbids leaning on the melodies of Schubert, Gounod or Bach: this version was written from scratch so as to resemble none of the known ones.
How long is it and where does it sit on the album?
It runs 5:48 and is track 9 of the 10 on «La Virgen de Nazaret». Its ISRC is QT6FP2692527. It is the penultimate track, already in the part of the album where the voice comes down.
What is this song's sonic signature?
A music box opens the track. It is the detail that sets it apart from the rest of the record and places the prayer where it is learned: in childhood, from a mother or a grandmother.
How does the chorus change through the song?
It travels a whole life with the same phrase repeated, changing only the ending: «Ruega por los míos» (pray for my own) → «en mis horas oscuras» (in my dark hours) → «en mi última hora» (in my final hour). Family, storms and the end, in that order.
Can the rosary be prayed with this song?
It was written for that. It is the album's song closest to a prayer actually prayed, it runs 5:48 and it travels the three petitions made across a lifetime. The whole record was born to be prayed, and this is the one that does it most literally.
Is the lyric the author's?
The liturgical text is not: the Church has prayed it for centuries and it is in the public domain. What Larry Hans added is what is really asked for when it is prayed in earnest, and the whole of the music, which is his own original work.
Who is this song dedicated to?
To anyone who learned this prayer from their mother or grandmother and still prays it, quietly, when they are afraid. The author puts it plainly: this lyric is not mine, I only set it to music and added what I truly ask for.
Does this song work for the month of Mary or the Rosary?
Yes: it is the album's song for 7 October, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and for May, the month of Mary. To use it in a communal or broadcast prayer, it is best to ask at soy@larryhans.com.
Where can I listen to Larry Hans's «Ave María»?
On Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and the other digital stores, and in the player on this page. The buttons above lead to this particular track on each platform, not to the whole album.
Where can I get the lyric of «Ave María» in print?
On this page there is a PDF sheet ready to print with the full lyric, a dedication written for this track and the author's signature. It is free, asks for no details and is available in the site's eight languages.
Which album is it on?
On «La Virgen de Nazaret» (2026), Larry Hans's debut album, of which it is track 9. It comes just before «Que seas Tú», which closes the record by returning the blue mantle of the opening song.
Who composed the music?
Larry Hans, a Costa Rican singer-songwriter and practising lawyer. The music is entirely original, written deliberately so as not to lean on any known melody, and he also signs the performance and the production.
Is the lyric translated into other languages?
No. The lyric is always read in the original Spanish, like the album's other nine. The song's explanation, its fact sheet and the printable page are available in the site's eight languages.
Can I use the song in a video?
The recording is under reserved rights, with ISRC QT6FP2692527. Even though the text of the prayer is in the public domain, this recording and its music are not: to use it, permission must be requested at soy@larryhans.com.
Thank you
I don't know your name or where you live, but the map says you were here. Thank you for putting this music on in your house, in your car or in your headphones, at whatever hour it was — every flag below is someone who stopped by to say hello.