What does “auld lang syne” really mean?
The words “auld lang syne” mean “old long since” or “times long past.” They show up in a song traditionally sung in many English-speaking countries on New Year’s Eve (or Hogmanay, in Scotland) . The lyrics as we know them were written as a poem in 1788 by Scotland’s national bard, Robert Burns. However Burns noted it was an old ballad, and he “took it down” from a man who was singing it. The earliest reference to the well-known lines comes from the 15th century. However the best-known written connection to Burns’ work was a poem published in 1711 called “Old Longsyne” and attributed to either Sir Robert Aytoun or Francis Sempill. The old Scots dialect can make the lyrics difficult to understand and remember.
