Robert Burns wrote the lyrics most closely associated with the New Year's Eve song “Auld Lang Syne.”
Burns, Scotland's national poet, sent a version of the song to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788. The title is a Scots phrase meaning “old long since,” commonly understood in context as memories of days gone by or old friendships.
Burns did not necessarily invent every line or the underlying melody. He collected and adapted traditional Scottish material, a common practice among song collectors of his era. The familiar tune was paired with the words in later musical circulation.
The song became especially associated with New Year's celebrations in the English-speaking world during the 19th and 20th centuries. Its use is not limited to midnight: it is also sung at farewells, reunions, graduations, and other moments of remembrance. Pronunciation and wording can vary, but the Burns attribution is the standard literary connection.