december2014

DECEMBER 2014 -

SEXY GLAM

MAGAZINE -

he most commonly sung song for

English-speakers on New Year’s Eve, “Auld Lang Syne”

is an old Scottish song that was first published by the

poet Robert Burns in the 1796 edition of the book, Scots

Musical Museum. Burns transcribed it (and made some

refinements to the lyrics) after he heard it sung by an

old man from the Ayrshire area of Scotland, Burns’

homeland.

It is often remarked that “Auld Lang Syne” is one of the

most popular songs that nobody knows the lyrics to.

“Auld Lang Syne” literally translates as “old long since”

and means “times gone by.” The song asks whether

old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to

remember people of the past with fondness, “For auld

lang syne, we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet.”

The lesser known verses continue this theme, la-

menting how friends who once used to “run about the

braes,/ And pou’d the gowans fine” (run about the hills

and pulled up the daisies) and “paidl’d in the burn/

Frae morning sun till dine” (paddled in the stream from

morning to dusk) have become divided by time and

distance—”seas between us braid hae roar’d” (broad

seas have roared between us). Yet there is always time

for old friends to get together—if not in person then in

memory—and “tak a right guid-willie waught” (a good-

will drink).