Which Scottish poet is credited with writing the poem behind “Auld Lang Syne”?

Robert Burns is credited with writing the poem behind “Auld Lang Syne.”

Burns sent a version of the Scots-language poem to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, although he stated that he had collected and refined older traditional material. The words ask whether old acquaintances and shared memories should be forgotten, making them especially suitable for a farewell or a new beginning.

The familiar melody became associated with the song during the nineteenth century. Its title means “old long since” or, more naturally, “for old times’ sake.” English-speaking communities adopted it for year-end gatherings, and it is now strongly linked with midnight on December 31.

The song is not exclusively a New Year’s piece. It is also performed at farewells, funerals, graduations, and other transitions. The melody and verses can vary, so performances do not always include every stanza traditionally associated with Burns’s text.