Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote the words of “Auld Lang Syne,” the song traditionally sung at midnight on New Year's Eve.
Burns sent a version of the song to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, describing it as an old song. He is generally credited with shaping and recording the familiar lyrics, though the song draws on older Scottish verses and melodies. The title means “old long since,” or more naturally, “for old times' sake.”
The song asks whether old friendships and memories should be forgotten, then celebrates shared recollections with raised glasses and clasped hands. Those themes helped it travel far beyond Scotland and become associated with farewells, reunions, and the arrival of a new year.
Many people assume Burns composed every element from scratch. The historical picture is more complicated: earlier words and tunes existed, while Burns supplied the influential literary version that became standard. The tune commonly heard today was also shaped through later musical tradition.