Auld Lang Syne, written from a poem by Robert Burns, is widely sung at New Year’s Eve celebrations.
The title is Scots and is commonly understood as referring to old times, old acquaintances, or days gone by. The song’s opening asks whether old friendships should be forgotten, then answers that they should be remembered and maintained. That theme makes it especially suited to a moment that looks backward and forward at once.
Robert Burns sent a version of the poem to a friend in 1788, noting that it had been collected from an older song. The familiar melody was printed with the words in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, although the tune’s precise history is complicated.
The song spread internationally through Scottish communities and later through radio, recordings, and public celebrations. English-language speakers often sing only the first verse and refrain, and pronunciations of the Scots title vary widely.