Robert Burns wrote the poem commonly associated with the New Year’s Eve song “Auld Lang Syne.”
Burns, Scotland’s national poet, sent a version of the words to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788. The phrase “auld lang syne” means something like “old long since” or “for old times’ sake.” The song asks whether old friendships and memories should be forgotten, answering that they should be remembered and celebrated.
Although Burns supplied the familiar poetic text, the melody and earlier versions of the words have a more complicated history. Burns himself noted that he had encountered older traditional material. The tune used today became widely standardized during the nineteenth century, helping the song spread beyond Scotland.
Its association with New Year’s Eve grew internationally through Scottish communities and later mass entertainment. The song is also used at reunions, farewells, graduations, and memorial occasions, so it is not exclusively a New Year song. Different countries may sing translated or shortened versions.