Robert Burns wrote the poem that popularized the lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne,” sung on New Year's Eve.
Burns, Scotland's best-known national poet, recorded and adapted the words in 1788. He drew on older Scottish material rather than inventing every line from scratch, which is why the song is both a literary work associated with Burns and part of a much older folk tradition.
The central question—whether old acquaintances should be forgotten—makes the song especially suitable for a year-end farewell. Its melody and wording have since traveled widely, and translations and localized versions exist in many countries.
Burns should not be confused with Guy Lombardo, the Canadian bandleader who helped popularize the song as a North American New Year's Eve broadcast tradition. Burns supplied the celebrated literary version; Lombardo helped make its annual performance familiar to mass audiences.