Who wrote the poem that became the lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne”?

Robert Burns wrote the poem that became the lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne.”

Burns, Scotland's national poet, sent a version of the song to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788. The Scots phrase “auld lang syne” means roughly “old long since,” or more naturally, “for old times' sake.” The poem asks whether old friends and familiar memories should be forgotten, then celebrates friendship and shared remembrance.

The melody associated with the words was already circulating in Scotland and was not necessarily composed by Burns. Later singers and publishers helped spread the song, and it became especially connected with midnight on New Year's Eve in many English-speaking countries.

A common mistake is to call Burns the composer of both words and music. He is credited with the poem or lyric adaptation, while the tune has an older and more complicated history. The song is also used at reunions, farewells, graduations, and memorial occasions.