Auld Lang Syne

1

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And days of auld lang syne?

2

We twa ha'e ran aboot the braes,

And pu'd the gowans fine,

We've wander'd mony a weary foot

Sin' auld lang syne.

3

And here's a hand, my trusty frien',

And gie's a hand o' thine;

We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,

For 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.

Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish folk song. The lyrics are attributed to the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns, but the original author is not definitely known. The lyrics were in the Scots language, and the literal translation of the title into standard English is Old Long Since. The song is about old friends having a drink and recalling adventures they had long ago.

Burns' first written version of the words of Auld Lang Syne date to 1788. Burns claimed that the words were taken "from an old man's singing." Poems with similar words existed before the time of Burns. The melody we associate with the song also existed before Burns wrote down the words. The English composer William Shield used a similar tune in his comic opera Rosina, first performed in 1782. The words and music that are now familiar appear together for the first time in 1799 in a Scottish song compilation published by George Thomson. In the 1800s the song was reprinted many times, and eventually it became part of the Scottish New Year's celebration known as Hogmanay. Celebrants traditionally sing the song while they stand in a circle holding hands. Bandleader Guy Lombardo helped make "Auld Lang Syne" a New Year's Eve tradition in North America. His band, the Royal Canadians, played the song at the turn of the new year in popular radio broadcasts beginning in 1929 and continuing for more than 30 years.

Many variations of wording can be found in both versions of “Auld Lang Syne” as they have been set down over the years. In fact, surviving manuscript copies in Burns’s own hand are not identically worded.

--Source: Britannica.com