Scottish Blog

Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish poem, often sung at New Year’s celebrations.

Auld Lang Syne is a product of one of the most popular poets in the world, Robert Burns. In the present day it can be heard amongst many revellers celebrating New Year’s around the world, Hogmanay in Scotland or Burn’s Supper. Interestingly enough it is actually used a graduation song in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the graduation ceremonies of the Indian and Pakistani armed forces. The popularity of the song has extracted it so far from its roots that many no longer recognise it as a true Scottish heirloom given to the world by one of the world’s best known Scots.

The lyrics to Auld Lang Syne were written in the latter half of the 1700s and forwarded to the Scottish Musical Museum. At the time he claimed that he did not if fact create the lyrics as they were part of a traditional Scottish folk song, although as it was the fashion at the time to claim such antiquity, most people cast doubt on such a claim.

As Auld Lang Syne was written over 200 years ago and had enjoyed popularity from that point it is only natural for it to have evolved with the spoken language of the region it is sung in. In fact, Auld Lang Syne as sung today has a number of differences, although these are mostly due to differing pronunciation.

These are the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne as sung today:

Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And days of long ago!

Chorus:

For times gone by, my dear
For times gone by,
We will take a cup of kindness yet
For times gone by.

We two have run about the hillsides
And pulled the daisies fine,
But we have wandered many a weary foot
For times gone by.

We two have paddled (waded) in the stream
From noon until dinner time,
But seas between us broad have roared
Since times gone by.

And there is a hand, my trusty friend,
And give us a hand of yours,
And we will take a goodwill drink (of ale)
For times gone by!

And surely you will pay for your pint,
And surely I will pay for mine!
And we will take a cup of kindness yet
For times gone by!