Robert Burns is the Scottish poet credited with popularizing the lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne.”
Burns wrote down and adapted words for the song in 1788, drawing on older Scottish lyrics and oral tradition. The title is Scots for “old long since,” commonly understood in the song as remembering former times or days gone by. Burns sent the text to the Scots Musical Museum, helping preserve and spread it.
The melody used today became associated with the words through later musical arrangements and performance practice. The song is now strongly linked with New Year's Eve in many English-speaking countries, where groups often sing it immediately after midnight while linking arms.
Burns did not necessarily invent every line or create the entire tradition from nothing. Earlier versions of the words existed, which is why descriptions often say he collected, revised, or popularized the song. The connection with New Year's Eve became especially widespread through nineteenth- and twentieth-century public celebrations.