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Auld Lang Syne (1793), by Robert Burns (1759 – 1796)
| Scots original Should auld acquaintance be forgot, |
| And never brought to min‘? |
| Should auld acquaintance be forgot, |
| And auld lang syne? |
| For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne, |
| 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 wander’d mony a weary foot |
| Sin’ auld lang syne. |
| We twa hae paidled i’ the burn, |
| From 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 guid-willie waught. |
| 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. |
| English translation Should old friendship be forgotten, |
| And never kept in mind/ remembered? |
| Should old friendship be forgotten, |
| Of long times ago/ since? |
| For the sake of long times ago/ since, |
| We’ll still take a cup of kindness . |
| The two of us have run among the hills, |
| And pulled/ collected beautiful daisies; |
| But we’ve wandered many a tiring foot |
| Since those old times long ago. |
| The two of us have paddled in the stream, |
| From early morning to evening dinner; |
| But broad/ wide seas between us have roared |
| Since those old times long ago. |
| And there’s a hand, my trusty friend, |
| And give your hand in return; |
| And we’ll take a hearty swig of drink, |
| For the sake of long times ago/ since. |
| And surely you’ll have a good-sized drink, |
| And surely I’ll have one, too; |
| We’ll take another cup of kindness . |
| For the sake of long times ago/ since. |
Not only in Scotland but also across the world, this song is sung on ‘Hogmanay’ (December 31st) or at the very start of the New Year. It has become an international song celebrating long-lasting friendship.
We sang it here in the Widum in Inzing at the January get-together of the Freundeskreis für Integration. After eating the traditional ‘haggis’, several of us sang it at the end of our ‘Burns Night’ at Brechtenweg 28, on January 25, when we celebrated the birthday of Scotland’s national poet.
