The Nunc Dimittis:
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.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Lighten our darkness,
we beseech thee, O Lord;
and by thy great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of thy only Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Grace:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.
ANGLICAN ANCIENT; BCP 1662
Compline: The Order for Evening Prayer Ending
Also known as BCP Compline · Night Prayer Anglican · Before the Ending of the Day
About this prayer
Compline is the final prayer of the day in the Divine Office, said before sleep. In the Book of Common Prayer, there is no separate Compline service; the equivalent is the latter part of Evening Prayer. However, many Anglican communities have developed a brief Compline service drawing on BCP texts, the most notable being the short order of Compline that includes the Nunc Dimittis (the song of Simeon from Luke 2:29-32), the Collect for Aid Against All Perils, and a blessing. The Nunc Dimittis, which speaks of departing in peace having seen God's salvation, is appropriate as a night prayer because sleep is regarded in Christian tradition as an image of death. The texts given here are drawn from the Evening Prayer service of the BCP 1662.
When it's said
Compline as a separate brief service is observed in many Anglican cathedrals, monasteries, and university chapels. In cathedral contexts it is typically sung on Sunday evenings. In parish contexts, Evening Prayer serves the same function. The Nunc Dimittis is the appointed canticle for Evening Prayer in the BCP and is said or sung at every Evening Prayer service.
Notes on the text
The Nunc Dimittis is the song of Simeon from Luke 2:29-32, said when Simeon held the infant Jesus in the Temple. Its words of peaceful departure make it the standard canticle for the end of the day. The Grace (2 Corinthians 13:14) is the standard dismissal at the end of Anglican services.
Common questions
What is Compline?
Compline is the last service of the day in the traditional Christian Daily Office, said before sleep. The word comes from the Latin 'completorium,' meaning 'completion,' because it completes the cycle of daily prayer. It is older than the Book of Common Prayer itself, with origins in 6th-century monastic practice. The Anglican form derives from this monastic tradition and has been preserved in many cathedrals and religious communities.
Why is the Nunc Dimittis sung at Compline?
The Nunc Dimittis (the Song of Simeon from Luke 2:29-32) speaks of departing in peace having seen God's salvation. Christian tradition has long associated sleep with a daily image of death and waking with resurrection, so the words 'Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace' are fitting at the close of the day. The canticle has been used at Compline since the earliest monastic forms of the office.
Is Compline still sung today?
Yes. Compline is sung in many Anglican cathedrals and college chapels, often by candlelight, and is one of the most beautiful and contemplative services of the week. It is broadcast weekly by some BBC stations and streamed by many cathedrals. Many Catholic and Orthodox monasteries also sing a form of Compline, and the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours includes Night Prayer based on the same tradition.
Source
Luke 2:29-32 (Nunc Dimittis); remaining texts from the Book of Common Prayer, 1662. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.