Vale of tears
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The phrase vale of tears refers to Earth and the sorrows left through life. "Vale" means a valley or a dale. The phrase comes from the Catholic prayer Salve Regina: "To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears." The expression hearkens to Psalm 23's reference to the valley of the shadow of death: the phrase implies that the wickedness of the world makes it dark and reprieve comes only from divine salvation.
