The Nunc dimittis ; also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 through 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate translation of the passage, meaning "Now you dismiss". Since the 4th century it has been used in services of evening worship such as Compline, Vespers, and Evensong.
Biblical account
The title is formed from the opening words in the Latin Vulgate, "Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine". Although brief, the canticle abounds in Old Testament allusions. For example, "Because my eyes have seen thy salvation" alludes to Isaiah 52:10. According to the narrative in Luke 2:25-32, Simeon was a devout Jew who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem for the ceremony of consecration of the firstborn son, Simeon was there, and he took Jesus into his arms and uttered words rendered variously as follows:
Versions
The "Nunc dimittis" passage in the original Koiné Greek: Transliterated: Latin : English : English : English : The King James Version contains the same text as the Book of Common Prayer, except for the last line, which simply reads "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." Church Slavonic
Liturgy and musical settings
The Nunc Dimittis is the traditional 'Gospel Canticle' of Night Prayer, just as Benedictus and Magnificat are the traditional Gospel Canticles of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer respectively. Hence the Nunc Dimittis is found in the liturgical night office of many western denominations, including Evening Prayer in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer of 1662, Compline in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer of 1928, and the Night Prayer service in the Anglican Common Worship, as well as both the Roman Catholic and Lutheran service of Compline. In eastern tradition the canticle is found in Eastern Orthodox Vespers. One of the most well-known settings in England is a plainchant theme of Thomas Tallis. Heinrich Schütz wrote at least two settings, one in Musikalische Exequien, the other in . The feast dayMariae Reinigung was observed in the Lutheran Church at J.S. Bach's time. He composed several cantatas for the occasion, including Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125, a chorale cantata on Martin Luther's paraphrase of the canticle, and Ich habe genug, BWV 82. In many Lutheran orders of service the Nunc Dimittis may be sung following the reception of the Eucharist. A 1530 rhymed version by, "Im Frieden dein, o Herre mein", with a melody by Wolfgang Dachstein, was written in Strasbourg for that purpose. Many composers have set the text to music, usually coupled in the Anglican church with the Magnificat, as both the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis are sung during the Anglican service of Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer, 1662, in which the older offices of Vespers and Compline were deliberately merged into one service, with both Gospel Canticles employed. In Common Worship, it is listed among "Canticles for Use at Funeral and Memorial Services" Herbert Howells composed 20 settings of it, including Magnificat and Nunc dimittis and Magnificat and Nunc dimittis for St Paul's Cathedral. A setting of the Nunc dimittis by Charles Villiers Stanford was sung at the funeral of Margaret Thatcher as the recessional. Stanford wrote many settings of both the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis. Arvo Pärt composed a setting of the Nunc dimittis in 2001. Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote a setting of the Slavonic Nunc dimittis text, Ны́не отпуща́еши, as the fifth movement of his All-Night Vigil. It is known for its final measures, in which the basses sing a descending scale ending on the B♭ below the bass clef. Arvo Pärt set the Magnificat text from St Luke’s gospel in 1989 for choral forces in his home city, Berlin.
