Nunc dimittis
Nunc dimittis (English: now you may dismiss) are the opening words of Simeon's song of praise on the occasion of the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple. After seeing Jesus, Simeon joyfully proclaims that he has seen God's salvation. Simeon had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die without seeing the Saviour. Source of text: Luke 2:29-31; usually followed by the minor doxology Gloria Patri.
In the Church of England, the Book of Common Prayer combined the offices of Vespers and Compline, stipulating that both the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis be sung at Evening Prayer. For this reason, the Nunc dimittis is often found set to music in a pair with the Magnificat (see Category:Evening Canticles). In the traditional Roman rite, the Nunc dimittis also forms the Tract for Mass of the Presentation in the season after Septuagesima.
Musical settings at CPDL
In English, as part of an Evening Service
Other settings
Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above
- Robert Adams — Nunc dimittis
- Alexander Arkhangelsky — Evening Service in G
- Alexander Arkhangelsky — Nunc dimittis
- Richard Ayleward — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Short Service)
- Edward Bairstow — Evening service in G
- Giovanni Battista Bassani — Nunc dimittis
- Herbert Brewer — Evening canticles in D
- Herbert Brewer — Evening canticles in E flat
- Eustache du Caurroy — O Createur, tu remets
- Sebastiano Cherici — Nunc dimittis
- George Dyson — Nunc Dimittis in D Major
- Józef Elsner — Canticum Simeonis
- William Jackson of Exeter — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in C
- William Jackson of Exeter — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in E flat
- Mariano Garau — Nunc dimittis
- Harvey Bartlett Gaul — Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant
- Nathaniel Giles — Nunc dimittis
- Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki — Nunc dimittis
- James Gordon — The Song of Simeon
- Claude Goudimel — Or laisse Créateur
- Charles Gounod — Nunc dimittis in B Flat
- Basil Harwood — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in E flat
- Edmund Hooper — The 'Flat' Service - Nunc dimittis
- Edward John Hopkins — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in D
- Herbert Howells — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G
- John Ireland — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in F major
- Samuel Jacobi — Nunc dimittis
- Ross Jallo — Crediton Service
- Ross Jallo — Short Evening Service
- Philip James — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
- Meirion Wynn Jones — The Second Service
- Viktor Kalinnikov — Ныне отпущаеши / Nunc dimittis
- Thomas Knyght — Evening Service for Men
- MB Krueger — Evening Service
- Tanmoy Laskar — Nunc dimittis
- Caroline Lesemann-Elliott — Short Service
- Richard Lloyd — Nunc dimittis (Hereford)
- Jean Louys — Or laisse, Créateur
- Arthur Henry Mann — Nunc Dimittis in E
- John Henry Maunder — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
- Francis Melville — Kensington Service
- Francis Melville — Melville in A "The Service of Terrible Thirsts"
- Francis Melville — Nunc Brevis
- Jonathan Merrett — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis
- Ernest John Moeran — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in D
- William Mundy — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis 'in medio chori'
- Vincent Francis Novello — Evening canticles in E
- Robert Page — Evening Service in B flat
- Robert Page — Evening Service in G
- Jacobus Clemens non Papa — Nunc dimittis
- Valentin Rathgeber — Nunc dimittis, Op. IX, No. 40
- Jakob Reiner — Nunc dimittis
- James Hotchkiss Rogers — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
- Caleb Simper — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
- Heathcote Statham — Nunc dimittis in E minor
- Charles Steggall — Evening service in G
- Alastair Stout — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, The Verse Service
- Thomas Tallis — Evening Service in Latin
- Thomas Tomkins — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from the Third Service
- Thomas Tomkins — Morning and Evening Canticles from the Fourth Service
- Thomas Weelkes — Sixth Service "in Verse for Two Counter-tenors"
- Ralph Vaughan Williams — Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in C
- John S. Wilson — Nunc Dimittis on the fifth tone
- Charles Wood — Magnificat and Nunc dimittis founded on an old Scotch chant
- Peter Yost — Nunc dimittis
Common texts
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![]() The Book of Common Prayer, 1662 |
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New Testament text & translations
![]() Νυν απολύεις τον δούλον σου, Δέσποτα, κατά το ρήμα σου εν ειρήνη, |
![]() Ныне отпущаеши раба Твоего, Владыко, |
![]() Ниње отпушчајеши |
![]() Modern Chinese: |
![]() Classical Chinese: |
![]() Heer laat Uw dienaar nu, |
![]() Herre, nu lader du din tjener gå bort |
![]() Ora lascia, o Signore, che il tuo servo |
![]() Compline |
Metrical versions
English Psalters
![]() Old Version Metrical Psalter 86. 86 (C.M.) |
![]() New Version Metrical Psalter (CM) |
Genevan Psalter
![]() Versification by Clément Marot (1538) |
![]() Translation Marnix van st Aldegonde (1580) |