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.
Notes on selected settings
In English, as part of an Evening Service
Other settings
Settings by composers (automatically updated)
- Nathaniel Adam — English SSAA, TTBB
- Nathaniel Adam — English SATTB, SAATB, SATBB
- Robert Adams — English TTBB
- Johann Rudolf Ahle — German solo Bass
- Henry Aldrich — English SATB
- Henry Aldrich — English SSATB
- Henry Aldrich — English SATB
- Geoff Allan — English SATB Latin SATB
- John Amner — English SATB,ATTB
- John Amner — English SSATB
- Felice Anerio — Latin SATB.SATB
- Anonymous — Latin SSAATTBB
- Alexander Arkhangelsky — English SATB
- Alexander Arkhangelsky — Church Slavonic SATB
- Alexander Arkhangelsky — English SATB
- Crys Armbrust — English SATB
- Samuel Arnold — English SATB
- Richard Ayleward — English SAATB,ATTTB,ATTBB
- Johann Christoph Bach — German SATB.SATB
- Edward Bairstow — English SATB
- Edward Bairstow — English SATB
- Joseph Barnby — English SATB
- Thomas Barrow — English SATB
- Juan Barter — Latin SATB.SATB
- Juan Barter — Latin S.SATB
- Giovanni Battista Bassani — Latin SATB
- Jennifer Bastable — English SSATB
- Adrian Batten — English SATB
- William Bennett — English SATB
- John Bertalot — English SATB
- Elway Bevin — English SAATB
- Simon Biazeck — English ATB
- Simon Biazeck — English SATB
- Simon Biazeck — Latin AATTBB
- Peter Bird — 2 SATB
- Hugh Blair — English SSAATTBB
- John Blow — English SATB
- Clifford Boyd — English SATB
- Herbert Brewer — English SATB
- Herbert Brewer — English SATB
- Herbert Brewer — English SATB
- Joseph Cox Bridge — English SATB
- Albertus Bryne — English SATB
- Claude Buchanan — English SATB
- Edward Bunnett — English SATB
- William Byrd — English SSAAAATTBB
- William Byrd — English SATBB
- William Byrd — Latin SATTB
- William Byrd — English SAATB
- William Byrd — English SAATTB
- John Baptiste Calkin — English SATB
- Eustache du Caurroy — French SSATB
- Thomas Causton — English SATB
- Sebastiano Cherici — Latin SATB
- Pavel Chesnokov — Church Slavonic TTBBBB
- Pavel Chesnokov — Church Slavonic SSATTBBB
- William Child — English SSATB
- William Child — English SAATB
- William Child — English SATB
- William Child — English SATB
- William Child — English SATB
- William Child — English SATB
- John Church — English SATB
- Thomas Clark — English SATB
- John Clarke-Whitfeld — English SATB
- John Clarke-Whitfeld — English SATB
- John Clarke-Whitfeld — English SATB
- John Clarke-Whitfeld — English SATB
- John Clarke-Whitfeld — English SATB
- John Clarke-Whitfeld — English SSATB
- John Clarke-Whitfeld — English SATB
- John Clarke-Whitfeld — English SATB
- Samuel Coleridge-Taylor — English SATB
- Benjamin Cooke — English SATB
- Robert Cooke — English SATB
- Iacopo Corfini — Latin SSAATTBB
- Carlo Cozzi — Latin SATTB
- Robert Creighton — English SATB
- Robert Creighton — English SATB
- Christoph Dalitz — English
- Christoph Dalitz — Latin
- Christoph Dalitz — Latin
- Christoph Dalitz — Latin
- William Daman — English SATB
- Colin Davey — English ATB
- Henry Walford Davies — English SATB
- George Day — English SATB
- Christoph Demantius — German SSATTB
- William Dixon — English SATB
- Thomas Sanders Dupuis — English SATB
- John Bacchus Dykes — English SATB
- George Dyson — Unknown SATB
- Thomas Ebdon — English SATB
- John Hilton the elder — English SATB
- Józef Elsner — Latin SATTB
- William Jackson of Exeter — English SSATB
- William Jackson of Exeter — English SATB
- Richard Farrant — English SATB
- Richard Farrant — English SATB
- Robert Fayrfax — English SATB
- John Ferrabosco — English SATB
- Melchior Franck — German SSATTB
- Melchior Franck — Latin SSATTB
- Melchior Franck — Latin SSATTBB
- Amadio Freddi — Latin SSTTB
- Giovanni Gabrieli — Latin ATBB.SSAAB.TBBBB
- Mariano Garau — Latin SAB
- Luis Vicente Gargallo — Latin A.SST.SATB
- Luis Vicente Gargallo — Latin SSSSAATTTB
- Harvey Bartlett Gaul — English SSAA
- James Gibb — English SATB
- Orlando Gibbons — English SATB
- Orlando Gibbons — English SATB
- Orlando Gibbons — English SAATB
- Orlando Gibbons — English SATB
- Charles H. Giffen — English ATBB
- Nathaniel Giles — English SAATB
- Nathaniel Giles — English SATB
- Giovanni Giorgi — Latin SATB.SATB
- John Goldwin — English SATB
- Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki — Latin SATB
- James Gordon — English SATB
- Claude Goudimel — French SATB
- Charles Gounod — English SATB
- Alan Gray — English SATB.SATB
- Maurice Greene — English SSAATTBB
- David Greenwood — English S
- David Greenwood — English SATB
- David Greenwood — English SATB
- Gregorian chant — English Unison
- Alexander Gretchaninoff — Church Slavonic SATB
- Adam Gumpelzhaimer — Latin SATB.SATB
- Harrison Hackett — English SATB
- Jacobus Haffner — Latin SATB
- Andreas Hammerschmidt — German SSATTB
- Christopher Hampson — English SATB
- Christopher Hampson — English SATB
- Cuthbert Harris — English SATB
- Basil Harwood — English SATB
- Hans Leo Hassler — Latin SATTB
- James Hawkins — English SATB
- Johann Michael Haydn — Latin SATB
- Dalwyn Henshall — English SATB
- Gustav Holst — Latin SSAATTBB
- Edmund Hooper — English SAATB
- Edmund Hooper — English SATB
- Edward John Hopkins — English SATB
- Herbert Howells — English SATB
- Dobri Hristov — Church Slavonic SSAA
- Pelham Humfrey — English SSAATB
- John Ireland — Unknown SATB
- Samuel Jacobi — German SAB
- Ross Jallo — English SATB
- Ross Jallo — English SATB
- Philip James — English SATB
- Charles Jones — English SATB
- Meirion Wynn Jones — English SATB
- Josquin des Prez — Latin SATB
- John Alcock Jr. — English SATB
- Viktor Kalinnikov — Church Slavonic SATB
- Alexander Dmitriyevich Kastalsky — Church Slavonic SATB
- Thomas Kelway — English SATB
- Thomas Kelway — English SATB
- Thomas Kelway — English SATB
- Thomas Kelway — English SATB
- James Kent — English SATB
- Charles King — English SSATB
- Charles King — English SATB
- Charles King — English SATB
- Charles King — English SATB
- Charles King — English SATB
- Thomas Knyght — English AATB
- MB Krueger — English SATB
- Huub de Lange — Latin SATB
- Pietro Lappi — Latin SATB.SATB.ATTB.SATB
- Tanmoy Laskar — English SATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SATTB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SSAATTB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SAATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SSATTB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SSATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SSATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SATB
- Orlando di Lasso — Latin SSATTB
- Rudolph di Lasso — Latin SSATTB
- Rudolph di Lasso — Latin SSATTB
- Giovanni Legrenzi — Latin SATTB
- Caroline Lesemann-Elliott — English SATB
- Ralph Letts — English SATB
- Richard Lloyd — Unknown SATB
- Gavriil Lomakin — Church Slavonic SATB
- Henry Loosemore — English SATB
- Jean Louys — French SATTB
- John Lugge — English SATB
- Charles Macpherson — English SATB
- Arthur Henry Mann — English SATB.SATB
- John Henry Maunder — English SATB
- Francis Melville — 2 SATTB
- Francis Melville — English SATB, SSAATTTBB
- Francis Melville — Latin SATB
- Felix Mendelssohn — 2 SATB
- Jonathan Merrett — English SATB
- Ernest John Moeran — English SATB
- Henry Molle — English SAATB
- Henry Molle — English SATB
- Henry Molle — English SATB
- Cristóbal de Morales — Latin SATB
- Cristóbal de Morales — Latin SATB
- Thomas Morley — English SATB
- John Mundy — Latin ATB.ATB
- William Mundy — English SAATB.SAATB
- William Mundy — English SSAATTTBBBB
- Herbert Murrill — English SATB
- James Nares — English SATB
- James Nares — English SATB
- Edward Woodall Naylor — English SATB.SATB
- Edward Woodall Naylor — English ATB.ATB
- T. Tertius Noble — English SATB
- Vincent Francis Novello — English SATB
- Nicholas O'Neill — English SATB
- Nicholas O'Neill — English SATB
- Nicholas O'Neill — English SSAATTBB
- Nicholas O'Neill — English SATB
- Nicholas O'Neill — English SSAATTBB
- Diego Ortiz — Latin SATB
- Robert Page — English SATB
- Robert Page — English SATB
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Latin SATB
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Latin SATTB
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Latin SATB.ATTB.ATTB
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Latin SATB.SATB
- Silla Palestrina — Latin SSTTTB
- Jacobus Clemens non Papa — Latin SATB
- Robert Parsons — English SATB.SATB
- Nathaniel Patrick — English SATB
- Malcolm Pearce — English TTBB
- John Playford — English STB
- Richard Portman — English SATB
- Hieronymus Praetorius — Latin SATB.SATB
- Michael Praetorius — Latin SATB.SATB
- Tim Pratt — English SATB
- Tim Pratt — English SATB
- William Prendergast — English SATB
- Henry Purcell — English SSAATB
- Henry Purcell — English SATB
- Jeffrey Quick — English SATB
- Robert Ramsey — English SATB
- Valentin Rathgeber — Latin SATB
- Thomas Ravenscroft — English SATB
- Jacob Regnart — Latin SSATBB
- Jakob Reiner — Latin SATTBB
- Tim Risher — English SATB
- Tim Risher — English SATB
- Benjamin Rogers — English SATB
- Benjamin Rogers — English SATB
- Benjamin Rogers — English SATB
- James Hotchkiss Rogers — English SATB
- Kathryn Rose — English SATB
- William Russell — English SATB
- Johann Hermann Schein — German SATB
- Heinrich Schütz — German B
- Heinrich Schütz — German SSATTB
- Heinrich Schütz — German SSATTB
- Richard Sheppard — English SATB
- Caleb Simper — English SATB
- Henry Thomas Smart — English SATB
- John Smith — English SATB
- Arthur Somervell — English SATB
- John Alcock Sr. — English SATB
- John Alcock Sr. — English SATB
- Annibale Stabile — Latin SATB.SATB
- John Stainer — English SATB
- John Stainer — English SATB
- John Stainer — English SATB
- Charles Villiers Stanford — English SATB.SATB
- Charles Villiers Stanford — English SATB
- Charles Villiers Stanford — English SATB
- Charles Villiers Stanford — English SATB
- Charles Villiers Stanford — English SATB
- Heathcote Statham — Latin SATB
- Charles Steggall — English SATB
- Charles Steggall — English ATTB
- Johann Stobäus — German SATTB
- William Stonard — English SATTB
- Alastair Stout — English SSATB.SSATB
- Alastair Stout — English SATB
- Nicholas Strogers — English SATB
- Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck — French SSATBSSATTB
- Thomas Tallis — Latin SATTB
- Thomas Tallis — English SATB,ATTB
- Roger Teichmann — English SATB
- Thomas Tomkins — English SATB
- Thomas Tomkins — English SATB
- Thomas Tomkins — English SATB
- Thomas Tomkins — English ATTBB.ATTBB
- Thomas Tomkins — English ATTBB.ATTBB
- John Travers — English SATB
- Franz Tunder — German BB
- William Turner — English SSAATB
- William Turner — English SATB
- Christopher Tye — English SATB
- Christopher Tye — English SATB
- František Tůma — Latin SATB
- Alexander Utendal — Latin SATTB
- Francisco Valls — Latin ST.SATB.SATB
- Francisco Valls — Latin A.TT.SST.SATB
- Francisco Valls — Latin SS.SATB
- Ivo de Vento — Latin SATB
- Ivo de Vento — Latin SATB
- Tomás Luis de Victoria — Latin SATB, ATTB
- Scott Villard — English SATBATB
- Thomas Attwood Walmisley — English SAATB
- Thomas Weelkes — English SATB, ATTB
- Samuel Wesley — English SATB
- Samuel Sebastian Wesley — English SATB
- Samuel Sebastian Wesley — English SSATB
- John Ebenezer West — English ATBB
- Ralph Vaughan Williams — English SATB
- John S. Wilson — English SATB
- Thomas Wilson — English SATB
- Michael Wise — English SATB
- Michael Wise — English SATB
- Charles Wood — English SATB
- Charles Wood — English SATB
- Charles Wood — English SATB
- Charles Wood — English SATB
- Charles Wood — English ATB.ATB
- Charles Wood — English SATB
- Charles Wood — English SATB.SATB
- Charles Wood — English Unison
- Charles Wood — English ATB
- Charles Wood — English SATB.SATB
- Charles Wood — English Unison
- Charles Wood — English SATB
- Charles Wood — Latin SSATBB
- Richard Woodward — English SATB
- Peter Yost — English SATB
- Works that currently have no editions available:
- William Byrd — Third Service
- Thomas Morley — Short Evening Service
- Tomás Luis de Victoria — Nunc dimittis a 5
Common texts
 Latin text
|
 English textThe Book of Common Prayer, 1662 |
 German text
|
New Testament text & translations
 Greek textΝυν απολύεις τον δούλον σου, Δέσποτα, κατά το ρήμα σου εν ειρήνη, |
 Russian translationНыне отпущаеши раба Твоего, Владыко, |
 Serbian translationНиње отпушчајеши |
 Chinese translationModern Chinese: |
Chinese translation Classical Chinese: |
 Dutch translationHeer laat Uw dienaar nu, |
 Danish translationHerre, nu lader du din tjener gå bort |
 Italian translationOra lascia, o Signore, che il tuo servo |
 Vietnamese translationCompline |
Metrical versions
English Psalters
| English translation Old Version Metrical Psalter 86. 86 (C.M.) |
English text New Version Metrical Psalter (CM) |
Genevan Psalter
 French textVersification by Clément Marot (1538) |
Dutch text Translation Marnix van st Aldegonde (1580) |