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Encyclopedic overview
Simeon's Song of Praise by Aert de Gelder, c. 1700–1710
The Nunc dimittis ( English: /nʊŋk dɪˈmɪtɪs/), 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 to 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate translation of the passage, meaning "Now you let depart". Since the 4th century it has been used in Christian services of evening worship such as Compline, Vespers, and Evensong.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Nunc dimittis” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.