Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song. It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world, its traditional use being to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. The international Scouting movement in many countries uses it to close jamborees and other functions.
The poem's Scots title may be translated into standard English as "old long since" or, less literally, "long long ago", "days gone by", 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".
The phrase "Auld Lang Syne" is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton, Allan Ramsay, and James Watson, as well as older folk songs predating Burns. Matthew Fitt uses the phrase "in the days of auld lang syne" as the equivalent of "once upon a time" in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language.
History
Robert Burns sent a copy of the original song to the Scots Musical Museum with the remark, "The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man." Some of the lyrics were indeed "collected" rather than composed by the poet; the ballad "Old Long Syne" printed in 1711 by James Watson shows considerable similarity in the first verse and the chorus to Burns' later poem, and is almost certainly derived from the same "old song".To quote from the first stanza of the James Watson ballad:
It is a fair supposition to attribute the rest of the poem to Burns himself.
There is some doubt as to whether the melody used today is the same one Burns originally intended, but it is widely used in Scotland and in the rest of the world.
Singing the song on Hogmanay or New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. As Scots emigrated around the world, they took the song with them.
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 "in the event that" referring to a possible event or situation.
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 second paragraph of this article for a full explanation of this phrase.
| Burns' original Scots verse | Standard English version | Scots pronunciation guide | IPA pronunciation guide |
and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and 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. 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. 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. 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. and never brought to mind? Should acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne? And surely you'll your pint ! and surely I'll mine! And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne. We run about the, and the fine; But we've wandered a weary, auld lang syne. We in the, morning sun till dine; But seas between us auld lang syne. And there's a hand my trusty ! And a hand o' thine! And we'll a right, for auld lang syne. an nivir brocht ti mynd? Shid ald akwentans bee firgot, an 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. We twa hay rin aboot the braes, an pood the gowans fyn; Bit weev wandert monae a weery fet, sin ald lang syn. We twa hay pedilt in the burn, fray mornin sun til dyn; But seas between us bred hay roard sin ald lang syn. An thers a han, my trustee feer! an gees a han o thyn! And we'll tak a richt gude-willie-waucht, fir ald lang syn. ən ʃeːr.li jiːl bi juːɾ pəin.stʌup ən ʃeːr.li ɑːl bi məin ən wiːl tɑk ə kʌp ə kəin.nəs jɛt fəɾ o̜ːld lɑŋ səin wi two̜̜ː heː rɪn ə.but ðə breːz ən puːd ðə ɡʌu.ənz fəin bʌt wiːv wɑn.əɾt mʌ.ne ə wiːɾɪ fɪt sɪn o̜ːld lɑŋ səin wi two̜̜ː heː pe.dlt ɪn ðə bʌɾn freː moːɾ.nɪn sɪn tɪl dəin bʌt siːz ə.twin ʌs bred heː roːrd sɪn o̜ːld lɑŋ səin ən ðeːrz ə ho̜ːn mɑ trʌs.tɪ fiːɾ əŋ ɡiːz ə ho̜ːn ə ðəin ən wiːl tɑk ə rɪxt ɡɪd wʌ.lɪ wo̜ːxt fəɾ o̜ːld lɑŋ səin MelodyThe tune to which "Auld Lang Syne" is commonly sung is a pentatonic Scots folk melody, probably originally a sprightly dance in a much quicker tempo. English composer William Shield seems to quote the "Auld Lang Syne" melody briefly at the end of the overture to his opera Rosina, which may be its first recorded use. The contention that Burns borrowed the melody from Shield is for various reasons highly unlikely, although they may very well both have taken it from a common source, possibly a strathspey called "The Miller's Wedding" or "The Miller's Daughter". The problem is that tunes based on the same set of dance steps necessarily have a similar rhythm, and even a superficial resemblance in melodic shape may cause a very strong apparent similarity in the tune as a whole. For instance, Burns' poem "Comin' Thro' the Rye" is sung to a tune that might also be based on the "Miller's Wedding". The origin of the tune of "God Save the Queen" presents a very similar problem and for just the same reason, as it is also based on a dance measure. Beethoven wrote an arrangement of Auld Lang Syne in the original brisk strathspey rhythm, published as part of his 12 Scottish Folksongs. In 1855, different words were written for the Auld Lang Syne tune by Albert Laighton and titled, "Song of the Old Folks". This song was included in the tunebook, Father Kemp's Old Folks Concert Tunes published in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1860. For many years it was the tradition of the Stoughton Musical Society to sing this version in memory of those who had died that year. Songwriter George M. Cohan quotes the first line of the "Auld Lang Syne" melody in the second to last line of the chorus of “You're a Grand Old Flag”. It is plain from the lyrics that this is deliberate; the melody is identical except the first syllable of the word "forgot". John Philip Sousa quotes the melody in the Trio section of his 1924 march "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company". English composer of light music Ernest Tomlinson wrote a Fantasia on Auld Lang Syne, which in its 20 minutes weaves in 152 quotations from pieces by other popular and classical composers. In the Sacred Harp choral tradition, an arrangement of it exists under the name "Plenary". The lyrics are a memento mori and begin with the words "Hark! from the tomb a doleful sound". Another Christian setting, using the name "Fair Haven" for the same tune, uses the text "Hail! Sweetest, Dearest Tie That Binds" by Amos Sutton. The melody can also be used to sing "All Glory be to Christ",. In a similar vein, in 1999 Cliff Richard released a setting of the Lord's prayer to the familiar melody. The University of Virginia's alma mater is sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne". British soldiers in World War I trenches sang "We're Here Because We're Here" to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne". This tune was used briefly in the 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon The Chain Gang. Since 2007, the melody has been used as an introduction to the mass chorus of "America the Beautiful" that is played by the twelve finalist corps at the Finals Retreat at the Drum Corps International World Championships. "Auld Lang Syne" and "America the Beautiful" have the same metre, so that the lyrics can be sung interchangeably. UsesAt New Year"Auld Lang Syne" is traditionally sung at the conclusion of New Year gatherings in Scotland and around the world, especially in English-speaking countries.At Hogmanay in Scotland, it is common practice that everyone joins hands with the person next to them to form a great circle around the dance floor. At the beginning of the last verse, everyone crosses their arms across their breast, so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbour on the left and vice versa. When the tune ends, everyone rushes to the middle, while still holding hands. When the circle is re-established, everyone turns under the arms to end up facing outwards with hands still joined. In countries other than Scotland the hands are often crossed from the beginning of the song at variance with Scottish custom. The Scottish practice was demonstrated by Queen Elizabeth II at the Millennium Dome celebrations for the year 2000. Some press outlets berated her for not "properly" crossing her arms, unaware that she was correctly following the Scottish tradition. Other than New YearAs well as celebrating the New Year, "Auld Lang Syne" is very widely used to symbolise other "endings/new beginnings" – including farewells, funerals, graduations, the end of a party, jamborees of the Scout Movement, the election of a new government, the last lowering of the Union Jack as a British colony achieves independence and even as a signal that a retail store is about to close for the day. The melody is also widely used for other words, especially hymns, the songs of sporting and other clubs, and even national anthems such as the Provisional Government of Korea’s anthem. In Scotland and other parts of Britain, in particular, it is associated with celebrations and memorials of Robert Burns. The following list of specific uses is far from comprehensive.In the English-speaking world
Notable performancesLive and broadcast
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