Happy New Year!

It is a new year everyone. It’s time to start anew and to bring out the list of resolutions. Good luck to all in starting off the new year on the right foot!

In the mean time, here is a little bit of poetry, which I am sure that everyone will know and will easily associate with New Year’s.

Auld Lang Syne
By Robert Burns

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lan 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 we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld auld lang syne!

CHORUS
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine,
But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit
Sin’ auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar’d

CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie’s a hand o’ thine,
And we’ll tak a right gui-willie waught
For auld lang syne!

CHORUS
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lan syne!

Robert Burns is famously known for his poetry during mid to late 18th century. Another favorite, especially for the lovers out there, of his is “A Red, Red Rose”. In his poetry, Burns simply uses his colloquialism, which is wonderfully seen in “Auld Lang Syne.” He is also considered one of the pioneers of the Romantic (literary) movement at the beginning of the 19th century, and was the influence for the Romantic poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge.

Now, here’s a little info on the poem itself. I personally did not know what the phrase “auld lang syne” meant until I came to university and took my British Literature courses. For the people who are clueless as I was, “auld lang syne” means “long ago times.” Other words in the poem that you might need a little help translating with are:

• Line 9 – be / pint-stowp = buy / pint-cup
• Line 13 – braes = slops
• Line 14 – pou’d / gowans = pulled / daisies
• Line 15 – fit = foot
• Line 16 – Sin’ = since
• Line 17 – burn = stream; waters used for brewing
• Line 19 – braid = broad
• Line 21 – fiere = friend
• Line 23 – guid-willie waught = good-will swig

Enjoy the poem and happy New Year!

Burns, Robert. "Auld Lang Syne." The Longman Anthology: British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch and Kevin J. H. Dettmar. New York: Pearson Education, Inc, 2006. 380.