As we approach the celebration of the incoming year, many of us will be singing Auld Lang Syne, but how many of us know what the words actually mean?
Here are the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne, written by Robert Burns:
“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 dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne!
Translation:
Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And days of long ago!
Chorus:
For old long ago, my dear
For old long ago,
We will take a cup of kindness yet
For old long ago.”
In the 1989 American romantic comedy film When Harry Met Sally directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron, starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby, in a scene at the end of the movie, the character Harry asks Sally, “What does this song mean? My whole life, I don’t know what this song means. I mean, ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot’? Does that mean we should forget old acquaintances, or does it mean if we happen to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible?”
Sally responds by saying, “Well, maybe it just means that we should remember that we forgot them or something. Anyway, it’s about old friends.”
Clearly, the meaning was not really explained.
According to Wikipedia, “Auld Lang Syne” (Scots pronunciation: [ˈɔːl(d) lɑŋ ˈsəi̯n]) is a Scottish song. In the English-speaking world it is traditionally sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay/New Year’s Eve. It is also often heard at funerals and graduations and as a farewell or ending to other occasions; for instance, many branches of the Scouting movement use it to close jamborees and other functions.
The text is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788, but based on an older Scottish folk song. In 1799 it was set to a traditional pentatonic tune, which has since become standard.”
According to Google, “It’s popularity around the North American New Year is largely owed to Guy Lombardo, whose orchestra played it on his radio and TV shows every New Year’s Eve from 1929 to 1977.
This song has always struck a deep chord with us, evoking fond memories from the prior year as we celebrate our turn into the new one. It’s a good reminder to take a look around and be grateful for what we have. Our memories, our friends, our health; these are things not to be taken for granted.”
As we begin our new year, let’s take our memories of 2025 with us, celebrating what was good and learning from any mistakes. Each new year is a reminder that we are another year older and can envision what we hope to do to make this new year better for ourselves, our families and friends, communities, our country and even the world.
Wishing you a very happy New Year that brings you hope, healing, prosperity and most of all love.
Invitation for Reflection
- How familiar are you with this song? Have you sung it on New Year’s Eve?
- Did you ever wonder what the words meant?
- How do you now feel about the song based on the information in this blog?
Diane Wagenhals
Director Emeritus, Lakeside Global Institute