Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote the lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne,” widely sung at New Year's Eve celebrations.
Burns sent a version of the poem to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, describing it as an old song that he had adapted and expanded. The phrase “auld lang syne” means “old long since,” or, more naturally, “for old times' sake.” Its lyrics ask whether old friendships and memories should be forgotten.
The melody now associated with the words was printed with the song in the late eighteenth century, though the tune and text developed through earlier Scottish folk traditions. The song became especially popular in English-speaking countries during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Although strongly associated with midnight on December 31, “Auld Lang Syne” is also used at graduations, farewells, memorials, and other occasions marking a transition. Burns is sometimes credited as the song's sole author, but he preserved and reshaped older material rather than inventing every element from scratch.