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    Auld Lang Syne
    Album: There Was A Lad
    Album: We Wish You A Merry Christmas
     
    Lyrics: Robert Burns (1789)
    Burns claimed to have written only two stanzas of this song (verses 2 and 3), while the others verses were from an old song. However, there are some who think Burns pretended this song to be the work of some heavenly inspired minstrel and went on to state that "it was never in print, nor even in manuscript, until I took it down from an old mans singing. Is it credible that such a song of unrivalled merit could have remained unknown to all of Scotland except one old man?" No one ever heard of it till Burns sent it to James Johnson (see Note 1). Chambers well remarks that Burns was prone to indulge in little mystifications regarding his songs. Many must have observed that when a social company unites in singing this song before dispersing, it is the custom for all to join hands in a circle at the words: "and theres a hand . . ." after which the song concludes with the chorus sung emphatically.

    Also never should syne be pronounced "zine", as is unfortuneately often done, the correct way to pronounce it is: "sign"

     
     
    Should auld acquaintance be forgot
    And never brought to mind?
    Should auld acquaintance be forgot
    And days o' auld lang syne?

    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 stoop,
    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 pu'd the gowans fine
    But we've wandered many a weary foot,
    Sin' auld lang syne

    We twa hae paidled i' the burn,
    Frae mornin' sun till dine
    But seas between us braid hae roared,
    Sin' auld lang syne

    And here's a hand, my trusty fiere,
    And gi'e's a hand o' thine
    And we'll tak' a richt good willy waught,
    For auld lang syne

     
    Glossary
    auld: old
    auld lang syne: literally, old long since; days gone by
    braes: hills
    braid: broad
    burn: stream
    fiere: friend
    frae: from
    gi'e: give
    gowans: daisies
    gude willy waught: no expression of Burns has been more generally misunderstood than this. Gude-willie is a common Scotch adjective meaning good-will; its opposite, ill-willie, means malicious. Waught is a word in every day use for 'hearty drink'. The expression then, simply means a hearty drink taken with good-will.
    paidled: wandered
    pint stoop: pint measure containing two English quarts
    pu'd: pulled, picked
    sin': since
    tae: to
    tak': take
    twa: two

     

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