Quae est ista quae processit

General information

Source of text: Responsory for the Assumption. One of a number of texts beginning Quae est ista (also including Quae est ista quae progreditur, as set by Palestrina and others).

Settings by composers

• Juan Cuevas SS.SATB (with Et sicut dies verni...)
• Pierre La Fage STB (with 2nd part Quae est ista quae ascendit)
• Nicolas Gombert SATTB (2nd part of Sancta et immaculata virginitas, with Et sicut dies verni)
• Pierre de Manchicourt SSATBB (ascendit rather than processit, with 2nd part Ista est speciosa)
• Tiburtio Massaino SATB.SATB (with Et sicut dies verni)
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina SATB (no 2nd part)
• Nicola Parma SSAATTBB (continues Et sicut dies verni)
• Nicolas de Wismes SSATTB (with 2nd part Sicut dies verni)

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• Peter Philips — Quae est ista
• Dominique Phinot — Quae est ista

Texts and Translations

Latin text Quae est ista quae processit1 sicut sol et formosa tanquam Jerusalem? Viderunt eam filiae Sion et beatam dixerunt2 et reginae laudaverunt eam. 2nd part - La Fage Quae est ista quae ascendit per desertum, sicut virgula fumi ex aromatibus myrrhae et thuris. 2nd part - Manchicourt Ista est speciosa inter filias Jerusalem, pulchra ut luna, electa ut sol, cuius odor vestimentorum super omnia aromata. 2nd part - Gombert/Massaino/Wismes Et3 sicut dies verni circundabant eam flores rosarum et lilia convallium. [Viderunt eam...]4 Continuation - Parma Et sicut dies verni circumdabant eam flores rosarum et lilia convallium cuius inaestimabilis odor erat nimis in vestimentis eius.   1. Manchicourt has ascendit. 2. Parma omits et beatam dixerunt. 3. Wismes omits Et. 4. Wismes repeats Viderunt eam....

English translation Who is she that came forth [ascended] like the sun and beautiful as Jerusalem? The daughters of Sion saw her [and called her blessed] and queens praised her. 2nd part - La Fage Who is this that ascended from the wilderness like a plume of smoke from the spices of myrrh and incense. 2nd part - Manchicourt This is the fair one among the daughters of Jerusalem, beautiful as the moon, excellent as the sun, the scent of whose garments is above all spices. 2nd part - Gombert/Massaino/Wismes [And] like a spring day, rose blooms and lilies of the valley surrounded her. Continuation - Parma And like a spring day, rose blooms and lilies of the valley surrounded her, the inestimably strong scent of which was on her clothes.