Auld Lang Syne: Meaning, Lyrics and Translation

What does auld lang syne mean?

Word for word, auld means old, lang means long, and syne means since. Put together, "auld lang syne" is something like "old long since," which in normal English we'd say as "long ago," "days gone by" or "old times."

So when the chorus says "for auld lang syne," it means "for old times' sake." The whole song is a question and an answer: should we forget old friends and the past? No. Let's drink a cup of kindness to remember them.

One pronunciation tip: "syne" is said like "sign," not "zine." Most native Scots speakers sing it as "auld lang sign."

Who wrote Auld Lang Syne?

Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, sent the song to James Johnson for his collection The Scots Musical Museum in 1788. Burns described it as an old song he had taken down from an old man's singing, and the phrase "auld lang syne" had appeared in earlier Scottish ballads and poems.

Historians generally believe Burns collected the traditional core and reworked and added verses himself, which was how he treated many folk songs. The song was published in 1796, shortly after Burns died. The melody most people sing today isn't the one Burns originally paired with the words. The familiar tune was attached to the lyrics in a later publication by George Thomson in 1799.

Full lyrics of Auld Lang Syne

These are the traditional words as published from Burns' text. The lyrics are in the public domain.

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.

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.

Plain-English translation

Verse 1: Should old friends be forgotten and never thought of again? Should old friends and the old days be forgotten?

Chorus: For old times' sake, my dear, for old times' sake, we'll still drink a cup of kindness together, for old times' sake.

Verse 2: And surely you'll buy your own pint, and surely I'll buy mine! And we'll still drink a cup of kindness together for old times' sake. (A "pint-stowp" is a pint tankard, so this is a friendly "you'll pay for your drink and I'll pay for mine.")

Verse 3: The two of us have run about the hillsides and picked the pretty daisies, but we've wandered many a weary foot since those old days. ("Braes" are hillsides, "gowans" are daisies, and "fit" means foot.)

Verse 4: The two of us have paddled in the stream from morning sun until dinner time, but broad seas have roared between us since those old days. ("Burn" is a stream and "dine" is dinner time.)

Verse 5: And here's my hand, my trusted friend, and give me a hand of yours! And we'll take a good, hearty drink together for old times' sake. ("Fiere" means friend or companion, and a "gude-willie waught" is a goodwill drink.)

Why do we sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve?

In Scotland, the song became part of Hogmanay, the New Year's Eve celebration, and was also sung at the end of gatherings and farewells. Scottish emigrants carried it to Canada, the United States, Australia and beyond.

In North America, bandleader Guy Lombardo did more than anyone to tie it to midnight. His band, the Royal Canadians, played it at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve broadcasts from 1929 onward, first on radio and later on TV, for decades. After that, it became the default midnight song in the US.

The theme fits the moment perfectly. Just as one year ends, the song asks you to look back at old friends and shared times, then raise a glass and carry them forward.

How to sing it at midnight

Most people only know the first verse and chorus, and that's fine. Traditionally, in Scotland, people stand in a circle and hold hands. At the start of the last verse ("And there's a hand, my trusty fiere"), everyone crosses their arms over their chest so they're holding hands with the people on either side, then rushes into the middle of the circle at the end.

If your crowd is shaky on the words, print the first verse and chorus on small cards or put them on the TV screen just before midnight. Singing it slowly the first time and faster the second is a fun way to finish.

Auld Lang Syne in pop culture

The song pops up in films whenever a story needs a moment of reunion or reflection. It's sung at the end of It's a Wonderful Life (1946), and it plays a big part in the New Year's Eve finale of When Harry Met Sally... (1989), where Harry admits he's never understood what the song means. Now you do.