Auld Lang Syne

At midnight on December 31st, throughout the English-speaking world, the song “Auld Lang Syne” is sung practically everywhere.  This song — actually a poem by Robert Burns — is indelibly linked to New Year’s celebrations, but what does it mean?  You’ve all seen Billy Crystal in Harry met Sally: “Does that mean that we should forget old acquaintances? Or does it mean that if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot ’em?”

The phrase “Auld Lang Syne” is from 18th-century Scots Gaelic and translates to “old long since” or “the olden days.”  The song is actually a poem by Robert Burns and the tradition of putting poetry to music is as old as Homer’s Odyssey as the music helps the performer remember the words.  Burns was an 18th-century Scottish working-class poet and lyricist who traveled throughout his country, learning and collecting the traditional songs he heard.

Of his famous poem, Burns himself admitted that he “took it down from an old man.”  Burns said in one of the letters that he listened to an old man singing the song and he wrote it down.  He didn’t make any secret of the fact that he was doing what he called ‘mending’ these old songs. So that they could be, you know, given to the public for posterity.  Many scholars believe there were a variety of similar songs some dating as far back as the 16th century, that inspired the version that Burns wrote down.

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Here are the Lyrics:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne.

CHORUS

For auld lang syne, my jo, For auld lang syne.

We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp! And surely I’ll be mine!

And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.

REPEAT CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes

And pu’d the gowans fine

But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot

Sin auld lang syne.

REPEAT CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn

Frae mornin’ sun till dine.

But seas between us braid hae roar’d

Sin auld lang syne.

REPEAT CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!

And gie’s a hand o’ thine!

And we’ll tak a right guid willy waught,

For auld lang syne.

REPEAT CHORUS

Should old acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

And long, long ago.

REPEAT CHORUS

And for long, long ago, my dear

For long, long ago.

We’ll take a cup of kindness yet

For long, long ago.

And surely youll buy your pint-jug!

And surely I’ll buy mine!

And we’ll take a cup of kindness yet

For long, long ago.

REPEAT CHORUS

We two have run about the hills

And pulled the daisies fine;

But we’ve wandered manys the weary foot

Since long, long ago.

REPEAT CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,

From morning sun till dine;

But seas between us broad have roared

Since long, long ago.

REPEAT CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty friend!

And give us a hand of yours!

And we’ll take a deep draught of good-will

For long, long ago.

REPEAT CHORUS

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And here is original poem by Robert Burns (1759–1796)

SHOULD auld acquaintance be forgot,    

And never brought to min’?     

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,       

And days o’ lang syne?

We twa hae rin about the braes,                       5

And pu’d the gowans fine;         

But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit  

Sin’ auld lang syne.        

We twa hae paidl’t i’ the burn,  

Frae mornin’ sun till dine;

But seas between us braid hae roar’d     

Sin’ auld lang syne.      

And here ‘s a hand, my trusty fiere,       

And gie’s a hand o’ thine;          

And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught 

For auld lang syne.       

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp,       

And surely I’ll be mine;

And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet          

For auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne,

We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet            

For auld lang syne.

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I’m still not sure what this means!