Auld Lang Syne

The evening of January 31 is the traditional time to sing and hear the song “Auld Lang Syne.” This often-misunderstood song began centuries ago in the highlands of Scotland.

The Scots Musical Museum is a six-volume publication that appeared between 1787 and 1803. Produced in Edinburgh by James Johnson with Stephen Clarke as musical editor, it is considered by many to be the finest collection of Scottish Songs.

The principal contributor to the collection, submitting over 300 of the total 600 published songs, without monetary compensation, was Robert Burns (1759-1796), a poet, lyricist, farmer, and exciseman (customs agent). He was also known as Rabbie Burns, but his writing earned him other names including the Ploughman Poet and the Bard of Ayrshire, where he spent most of his life. Later, Scotland simply called him The Bard. Burns is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and Scotland's favorite son.

In 1788 Burns set down the words to a particular song and sent it to Johnson soon after. Burns wrote that he “collected” the song from an old man who sang it. Johnson was hesitant to publish the “authentic” song because it contained bits of other old folk songs and poems, including one poem written by Robert Ayton (1570-1638) that Johnson had already published in an earlier volume. In addition, Johson probably knew it was not uncommon for a song collector to compose some or all of their “discovered” songs. In spite of all this, Johnson finally published the song in the fifth volume early in 1797. Sadly, Burns had died about six months earlier, but his letters suggest that Burns had seen proofs of the new volume before his death. The song in question was a tribute to remembered friendships and shared times, entitled “Auld Lang Syne.”

The song became popular shortly after it was published, and it spread to other English speaking countries as Scots and other Britons emigrated around the world. The song was often sung as a closing to momentous occasions, including but not limited to dances, commencement exercises and annual associational meetings or conferences. In keeping with this tradition of farewell and remembrance, many also sang it at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day. In Scotland the celebration is called Hogmanay (pronounced “hog-muh-NAY”), meaning the last day of the year.

While “Auld Lang Syne” is still used for various occasions around the world, many in the United States know it only as that song we sing at midnight on New Year's Day. However, that does not lessen the significance of the words and the sentiment they offer.

The pentatonic melody we sing today is not the one that Burns intended. That tune appeared earlier in the collection with the Robert Ayton poem. The final melody is a traditional Scots folk tune just the same, first appearing in print in 1700, but is possibly older by fifty years or more. It is also possible that it began as a dance tune with a much faster tempo.

“Auld Lang Syne” (pronounced “ald lang sign”) is sometimes described as "the song that nobody knows." Even in Scotland it is rarely sung correctly. Most people sing only the first verse and the chorus, with the last line of the verse changed to “and days of auld lang syne.” The Scots words “auld lang syne” literally mean “old long since.” In today's English we would probably say “long ago” or “times gone by.”

Included are three versions of the text. The first is the original text submitted by Burns. The second is an English guide to pronouncing the Scots text. The last is an English translation of the Scots text.

Auld Lang Syne
Collected by Robert Burns

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 dear,
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.

(chorus)

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.

(chorus)

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.

(chorus)

And there's a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

(chorus)


Auld Lang Syne
(English Pronunciation of Scots Text)

Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an nivir brocht ti mynd ?
Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an ald lang syn ?

Chorus:

Fir ald lang syn, ma dir,
fir ald lang syn,
Wil tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.

An sheerly yil bee yur pynt-staup!
an sheerly al bee myn!
An wil tak a recht guid-wullae wocht,
fir ald lang syn.

(chorus)

We twa hay rin aboot the braes,
an pood the gowans fyn;
Bit weev wandert monae a weery fet,
sin ald lang syn.

(chorus)

We twa hay pedilt in the burn,
fray mornin sun til dyn;
But seas a'tween us bred hay roard
sin ald lang syn.

(chorus)

An thers a han, my trustee feer!
an gees a han o thyn!
An will tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.

(chorus)


Auld Lang Syne
(English Translation)

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

Chorus:

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
And surely I’ll buy mine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

(chorus)

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

(chorus)

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine (dinner time) ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

(chorus)

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give us a hand o’ thine!
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

(chorus)

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