Auld Lang Syne

• Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
• And never brought to mind?
• Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
• And auld lang syne!

• Chorus: For auld lang syne, my dear,
• For auld lang syne.
• We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
• For auld lang syne.

• And surely ye’ll be your pint stowp!
• And surely I’ll be mine!
• And we’ll tak a cup o’kindness yet,
• For auld lang syne.
• For auld, &c.

• 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.
• For auld, &c.

• 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.
• For auld, &c.

• And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!
• And gie’s a hand o’ thine!
• And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught,
• For auld lang syne.
• For auld, &c.

• Auld Lang Syne (English Translation)
• Should old acquaintance be forgot,
• and never brought to mind?
• Should old acquaintance be forgot,
• and old lang syne?

Auld Lang Syne (English Translation)

• 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, etc.

• We two have run about the slopes,
• and picked the daisies fine;
• But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
• since auld lang syne, etc.

• We two have paddled in the stream,
• from morning sun till dine;
• But seas between us broad have roared
• since auld lang syne, etc.

• 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, etc.

Robert Burns (1759–1796) was the premier Scottish poet and balladeer, regarded in Scotland with the same reverence as Shakespeare in England. He is celebrated throughout the world on his birthday, January 25, known as Burns Day, with haggis, tripe, and various and sundry malted barley distillations. One of his most famous poems, “Auld Lang Syne,” provided above with an English “translation” from the Scottish dialect, is a perennial favorite for singing in the New Year.