Auld lang syne

[jayne b-t]

What does it mean and how should it be sung?

[albionboy]

I've got no idea...but I'm not alone, because I've never met anybody at any New Year party who's ever been able to get past the first line. The rest of the time most people look like John Redwood trying to sing Land Of My Fathers in Welsh. But I've got Scottish friends and I'll try to find out.

[Timbolla]

For my sins I have had to do a bit of research into this song a few years ago (it's a long story) and I have found the first verse and chorus are:- Should auld acquaintance be forgot And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne? Chorus For auld lang syne, my jo, For auld lang syne, We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, For auld lang syne. It may not make any sense, but the "English" translation is. Should old friendship be forgot' And never remembered ? Should old friendship be forgotten, And days of long ago. Chorus For days of long ago, my jo, For days of long ago, We'll take a cup of kindness yet, For days of long ago. I think the original version makes much more sense. For more information on the song I would go to http://www.electricscotland.com/burns/langsyne.html Here you find that you can download the fine Scotish gentleman Kenneth McKellar singing Auld Lang Syne in MP3 format. Also you get all the verses (yes there are 5 verses to the song) and "translation". Hope that is useful

[MrNutz]

Auld Lang Syne means (I think), 'Old Times Passed' or 'Old Times Gone' or something. Something like that. Maybe someone could back me up?

[Vendetta]

roughly - for rememberance of times past. A recent newspaper article (here in "Bonnie" Scotland) elaborated that the deeper meaning of one of the verses is that the singer is buying only his own drink and toasting his compatriot who is absent across the seas. Never sing "for the sake of Auld Lang Syne" thats an anglicism and a redundancy; soft s in syne, never as the English sing, zyne.

[bernardo]

Literally, "Auld Lang Syne" is the Scots dialect version of "Old long since" i.e. the good-old days, long gone, etc.