Auld Lang Syne

"Auld Lang Syne" (Scots pronunciation: [ˈɔːl(d) lɑŋˈsəin]: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often heard at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions; for instance many branches of the Scouting movement use it to close jamborees and other functions.

The text is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 but based on an older Scottish folk song. In 1799, it was set to a traditional tune, which has since become standard. "Auld Lang Syne" is listed as numbers 6294 and 13892 in the Roud Folk Song Index.

The poem's Scots title may be translated into standard English as "old long since" or, less literally, "long long ago", "days gone by", "times long past" or "old times". Consequently, "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for the sake of old times".

Lyrics

The song begins by posing a rhetorical question: Is it right that old times be forgotten? The answer is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships. Alternatively, "Should" may be understood to mean "if" (expressing the conditional mood) referring to a possible event or situation.

George Thomson's Select Songs of Scotland was published in 1799 in which the second verse about greeting and toasting was moved to its present position at the end.

Most common usage of the song involves only the first verse and the chorus. The last lines of both of these are often sung with the extra words "For the sake of" or "And days of", rather than Burns' simpler lines. This allows one note for each word, rather than the slight melisma required to fit Burns' original words to the melody.

The "singable" English version given here keeps the Scots phrase "auld lang syne" rather than translating it as "long long ago" or something like that — see the third paragraph of this article for a full explanation of this phrase.

Burns' original Scots verse	Standard English version (singable)	Scots pronunciation guide (as Scots speakers would sound)	IPA pronunciation guide (Burns' own Ayrshire dialect)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?[a] 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-stoup! 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;[b] But seas between us braid hae roar'd sin' auld lang syne. Chorus And there's a hand, my trusty fiere! and gie's a hand o' thine! And we'll tak' a right gude-willie waught, for auld lang syne. Chorus	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 of 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 cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne. Chorus We two have run about the hills, 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; But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne. Chorus And there's a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o' thine! And we'll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne. Chorus	Shid ald akwentans bee firgot, an nivir brocht[c] ti mynd? Shid ald akwentans bee firgot, an ald lang syn*? Chorus: Fir ald lang syn, ma jo, 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 will tak a cup o kyndnes yet, 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 between us bred hay roard sin ald lang syn. Chorus An thers a han, my trustee feer! an gees a han o thyn! And we'll tak a richt[c] gude-willie-waucht,[c] fir ald lang syn. Chorus	ʃɪd o̜ːld ə.kwɛn.təns bi fər.ɡot ən nɪ.vər brɔxt tɪ məin ʃɪd o̜ːld ə.kwɛn.təns bi fər.ɡot ən o̜ːld lɑŋ səin Chorus: fər o̜ːld lɑŋ səin mɑ d͡ʒo fər o̜ːld lɑŋ səin wiːl tɑk ə kʌp o kəin.nəs jɛt fər o̜ːld lɑŋ səin ən ʃeːr.li jiːl bi juːr pəint.stʌup ən ʃeːr.li ɑːl bi məin ən wiːl tɑk ə kʌp o kəin.nəs jɛt fər o̜ːld lɑŋ səin Chorus wi two̜̜ː heː rɪn ə.but ðə breːz ən puːd ðə ɡʌu.ənz fəin bʌt wiːv wo̜n.ərt mʌ.ne ə wiːrɪ fɪt sɪn o̜ːld lɑŋ səin Chorus wi two̜̜ː heː pe.dlt ɪn ðə bʌrn freː moːr.nɪn sɪn tɪl dəin bʌt siːz ə.twin ʌs bred heː roːrd sɪn o̜ːld lɑŋ səin Chorus ən ðeːrz ə ho̜ːn mɑ trʌs.tɪ fiːr əŋ ɡiːz ə ho̜ːn o ðəin ən wiːl tɑk ə rɪxt ɡɪd wʌ.lɪ wɑːxt fər o̜ːld lɑŋ səin Chorus

1. Scots "lang syne" (from Middle English for "long since". Variations are 'Syn', and 'Sin', all being contracted forms of 'Sithen'). Properly pronounced with a hard "S" (like "sign") rather than the soft "Z" sound usually sung.
2. dine = "dinner time"
3. ch = voiceless velar fricative, /x/ , at the back of the mouth like /k/ , similar to "Bach" in German