Yet there is always time for old friends to get togetherâif not in person then in memoryâand 'tak a right guid-willie waught' (a good-will drink).īut it was bandleader Guy Lombardo, and not Robert Burns, who popularized the song and turned it into a New Year's tradition. The lesser known verses continue this theme, lamenting how friends who once used to 'run about the braes,/ And pou'd the gowans fine' (run about the hills and pulled up the daisies) and 'paidl'd in the burn/Frae morning sun till dine' (paddled in the stream from morning to dusk) have become divided by time and distanceâ'seas between us braid hae roar'd' (broad seas have roared between us). 'Auld Lang Syne' literally translates as 'old long since' and means 'times gone by.' The song asks whether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to remember people of the past with fondness, 'For auld lang syne, we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet.' It is often remarked that 'Auld Lang Syne' is one of the most popular songs that nobody knows the lyrics to. Burns transcribed it (and made some refinements to the lyrics) after he heard it sung by an old man from the Ayrshire area of Scotland, Burns's homeland. The most commonly sung song for English-speakers on New Year's eve, 'Auld Lang Syne' is an old Scottish song that was first published by the poet Robert Burns in the 1796 edition of the book, Scots Musical Museum.

Saying âHappy New Year!â Around the World.Auld Lang Syne and other New Year's customs 'Auld Lang Syne'Īnd we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,įor auld lang syne.

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