Nunc dimittis (download)

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

O Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, 29-32 King James Version

Program Note

The Nunc dimittis, or “Song of Simeon,” is a canticle from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Its Latin name comes from the opening words of the Vulgate, meaning “Now you let depart.”

In Luke’s narrative, devout Simeon has been promised by the Holy Spirit that he will not die until he has seen the Messiah. Simeon utters the words of the canticle when Mary and Joseph present the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem for the ceremony of redemption of the firstborn son. The canticle traditionally closes with the Gloria Patri, explicitly connecting the prophecy of Simeon to the worship of the Trinity.

In the Anglican church, the Nunc dimittis usually follows the Magnificat in the service of Evening Prayer (Compline), according to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.