Robert Burns wrote the poem that became the lyrics most associated with “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 “old long since,” or more naturally, “days gone by.” The poem asks whether old friendships and memories should be forgotten, answering that they should be remembered and shared.
The melody commonly used today was paired with the words through later musical tradition rather than being uniquely composed for Burns's poem. By the nineteenth century, the song had spread widely through Scottish communities and emigrant networks.
“Auld Lang Syne” became especially associated with midnight on New Year's Eve in many English-speaking countries, although it is also sung at reunions, farewells, funerals, and other closing moments. Burns is sometimes mistakenly credited with writing the melody as well as the poem.