Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
"Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" is a hymn by Martin Luther, a paraphrase in German of the Nunc dimittis, the canticle of Simeon. Luther wrote the text and melody, Zahn No. 3986, in 1524 and it was first published in the same year. Originally a song for Purification, it has been used for funerals. Luther included it in 1542 in Christliche Geseng ... zum Begrebniss.
Text and melody with biblical illustration, Bapstsches Gesangbuch, 1545
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 let depart". Since the 4th century it has been used in Christian services of evening worship such as Compline, Vespers, and Evensong.
Simeon's Song of Praise by Aert de Gelder, around 1700–1710
The start of the Nunc dimittis in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
German translation on a tombstone
Stained glass window in St. Alban's Anglican Church in Copenhagen, Denmark, depicting the "Nunc dimittis" scene