‘Westworld’ Season 3 Episode 1 Title: What Does Parce Domine Mean?

Tonight, HBO premieres Westworld Season 3 Episode 1. The episode is called “Parce Domine.” Parce Domine is a Catholic antiphon and a painting. Read on to learn what that means.

Parce Domine Is a Catholic Antiphon

Parce Domine is a Gregorian chant or a Catholic “antiphon” (which also means a short chant recited as part of a Christian ritual.) The Psalms, for example, are antiphons. Translated from Latin, Parce Domine reads in English:

Spare, Lord, spare your people:
Be not angry with us forever.”

Parce Domine takes its words from Joel 2:17. The full text of Joel 2:17 reads:

Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,
weep between the portico and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”

A Gregorian chant that includes the refrain can be found here. The refrain is said between these verses, which read:

Let us bow down before the avenging wrath; let us weep before the Judge; let us cry forth in prayer of supplication, and all fall prostrate in prayer. (Refrain)

By our sins we have offended thy clemency, O God; pour out on us thy pardon from on high, Thou Who dost forgive. (Refrain)

Offering an acceptable time, give streams of tears to wash the sacrifice of our heart, which joyful charity enkindles. (Refrain)

Hear, thou merciful Creator, the tearful prayers poured forth during this holy fast of forty days. (Refrain)

Beloved searcher of hearts, thou knowest the infirmities of men; show pardoning grace to those who return to thee. (Refrain)

On the Gregorian Chant Hymns website, the refrain and verses are suggested to be used for Lent during Mass or Communion. This particular musical example is from the Parish Book of Chant from 2012.

You can see a musical sheet example here.

Here’s a video of Chris Brunelle singing the Parce Domine.

Parce Domine (Spare Your People, Lord)Parce Domine, parce populo tuo: ne in aeternum irascaris nobis Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; In your abundant compassion blot out my offense. Wash away all my guilt; From my sin cleanse me For I know my offense: My sin is always before me Against you alone have I sinned, I have done such evil in your sight A clean heart create for me, God; Renew in me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me away from your presence nor take from me your holy spirit Text: Refrain based on Joel 2:17, English refrain by Owen Alstott, b. 1947, copyright 1973, OCP Verses, Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17-19, fr. the New American Bible copyright 1991, CCD. Music: Refrain, chant, Mode I. Verses, Randall DeBruyn, b. 1947; verses and guitar acc. copyright 1992, OCP2020-01-19T20:00:00.000Z

The refrain he’s singing is by Owen Alstott.

Parce Domine Is Also a Painting

Parce Domine also refers to a painting by Adolphe Willette. You can see the painting here. The full painting is in the tweet below and you can see details from the painting in the tweet above.

The painting’s title refers to the antiphon described in the first section. The painting shows a bohemian scene in Paris, shares Art Contrarian. You can see some great closeups of the painting in that blog post.

At the front of the painting is a man with a gun in his hand, hugged by a woman with wings (perhaps an angel?) Behind him is a frenzied crowd who are dancing, playing music, leaping, and full of energy.

Whether the painting or the antiphon, both are rich works that lend quite a bit of symbolism and meaning to the title of the first episode of Westworld Season 3.

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