Auld Lang Syne: Tonight at Midnight
Posted: December 31, 2011 Filed under: English, English: Scots, Robert Burns Comments Off on Auld Lang Syne: Tonight at Midnight_____
Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye’ll be your pint stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
Sin’ auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin’ auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie’s a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For Auld Lang Syne.
_____
“Old Long Past” (For the Sake of Times Gone By)
And for old long past, my joy*,
For old long past,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
For the sake of times gone by.
CHORUS: Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days of old long past.
And surely you’ll pay for your 3-pint-vessel!
And surely I’ll pay for mine!
And we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
For the sake of times gone by.
CHORUS
We two have run about the hillsides
And pulled wild daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot
Since old long past.
CHORUS
We two have paddled in the stream,
From morning sun till noon;
But seas between us broad have roared
Since old long past.
CHORUS
And here’s a hand, my trusty friend!
And give me a hand of yours!
And we’ll take a right good-will drink,
For the sake of times gone by.
CHORUS: Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days of Old Long Past.
*joy — “joy” means sweetheart, but “dear” or “friend”
may also be sung
_____
Robert Burns (1759-1796) wrote his poem “Auld Lang Syne”
in 1788. It is in Scots’ dialect which is not, strictly speaking,
a hybrid of Gaelic and English, since it is derived also from
other linguistic strains.
A variant is spoken in Northern Ireland, where it is known as
Ulster Scots.
“Auld Lang Syne” has become a New Year’s Eve favourite,
the words sung to a traditional folk melody at the stroke
of midnight and into the first minutes of January 1st.
_____
Zócalo Poets 