Robert Burns wrote the lyrics commonly sung for “Auld Lang Syne,” the traditional New Year’s Eve song.
Burns, Scotland’s national poet, wrote down and adapted the words in 1788. The title is Scots for “old long since,” meaning something like “for old times’ sake.” Burns sent the song to the Scots Musical Museum, where it was published after his death.
The melody now associated with the song became widespread during the nineteenth century. It is not exclusively a New Year’s song: people also sing it at farewells, graduations, memorials, and other transitions. In English-speaking countries, however, it became especially linked with midnight on December 31.
A common mix-up is treating Burns as the composer of both words and tune. He is credited with the lyrics and with shaping the song from older Scottish material, while the familiar melody developed through earlier musical traditions and later arrangements.