“Auld Lang Syne,” commonly sung at New Year's Eve, is associated with the Scottish poet Robert Burns.
Burns sent a version of the poem to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, describing it as an old song that had been partly collected and partly written down by him. The title means “old long since” or, more naturally, “for old times' sake.” Its theme is remembrance, friendship, and shared history.
The melody now linked with the words became widely established later, especially through printed music and public singing. The song spread internationally during the 19th and 20th centuries and became strongly connected with the midnight transition into a new year.
Although Burns is credited with the familiar poetic version, he did not necessarily invent every line or the tune. That distinction is why the song is often described as traditional as well as Burns's.