Robert Burns wrote the poem whose words became the song “Auld Lang Syne,” often sung at New Year's Eve.
Burns, Scotland's national poet, sent a version of “Auld Lang Syne” to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788. The phrase means roughly “old long since” or “for old times' sake.” Its verses look back on friendship, shared experiences, and remembered days.
The melody used today was paired with the words through the development of printed song traditions in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The song gradually spread beyond Scotland and became strongly associated with farewells and the start of a new year.
Although the song is commonly treated as a universal New Year's anthem, its lyrics do not specifically describe midnight celebrations. Its themes of memory and companionship explain why it fits the emotional transition from one year to the next.