A Question for the New Year

remember in the movie - When Harry Met Sally - Harry asks her...What is it with Auld Lang Syne?...What does it mean? should old acquaintences be forgotten?.....What does this song mean?...and Sally answers, "Maybe it means that we should remember that we forgot old friends"...Any opinions out there because I've never understood that song and why it is so traditional this time of year?

It turns out that "Auld Lang Syne" is an extremely old Scottish song that was first written down in the 1700s. Robert Burns is the person whose transcription got the most attention, so the song is associated with him.

According to this page, a good translation of the words "auld lang syne" is "times gone by." So (incorporating a couple of other translations) when we sing this song, we are saying, "We'll drink a cup of kindness yet for times gone by."

How Stuff Works

Another of Life's Great Mysteries Solved.....
(and why am I not surprised at the source)
Thanks and Happy New Year...or Auld Lang Syne
lol Grace

I searched Google and this is what I found :

The words 'Auld Lang Syne' literally translates from old Scottish dialect meaning 'Old Long Ago' and is about love and friendship in times past. The lyrics in the song Auld Lang Syne referring to 'We'll take a Cup of Kindness yet' relate to a drink shared by men and women to symbolise friendship.

Haha!! Petunia already said that up there.. LOL.. SORRY!!

But I like yours better-- 'Old Long Ago' sounds more like Auld Lang Syne. Well except for the Syne thing. Heck, where's our Scottish lass, allthegirls when you need her?

hey...at least we know that it's scottish...and even more importantly...it gives us a good traditional excuse to "raise a cup"...that's good enough for me....grace

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Burns' name is not affixed to this world-famous song, and yet there can be no doubt it is chiefly his own. He admitted to Johnson that the two verses beginning respectively, "We tae hae ran about the braes," and "We twa hae paidl'd in the burn," are his own, although in sending the song to Mrs. Dunlop in December, 1788, and also is writing about it to Thomson, in September, 1793, he speaks of it as ancient. "Light be the turf," he says, "on the breast of the heaven-inspired poet who composed this glorious fragment! There is more of the fire of native genius in it than half-a-dozen of modern English Bacchanalians." "Apropos, is not the Scotch phrase Auld Lang syne exceedingly expressive? This old song and tune has often thrilled through my soul." To Thomson he writes thus:- "The air is but mediocre; but the song of itself - the song of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript, until I took it down from an old man's singing - is enough to recommend any air."
It is right to state that the popular air of Auld Lang syne is quite different from that referred to by the poet. We are indebted to George Thomson for selecting the fine old air of Can ye labour lea, which, by universal consent, has now become identified with the present song. We may also notice that the present arrangement of the versus, being that of the poet's own MS., seems preferable to that given by Curtis, who makes the second verse the very last in the song, while it has a manifest reference to the earlier stages of the interview between the supposed sngers.

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.

And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup,
And surely I'll be mine;
And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, etc.

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, etc.

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, etc.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak' a right gud-wellie waught,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, etc.

A translation from the Scots Independent

auld;old lang;long syne;since

auld lang syne ; days of long ago

pint stowp ; tankard

pou'd ; pulled

gowans ; daisies

mony ; many

fitt ; foot

paidl'd ; waded

dine; dinner-time

braid ; broad

fiere ; friend

willie-waught ; draught

owresettin

Should old friendship be forgot'
And never remembered ?
Should old friendship be forgotten,
And days of long ago.

And surely you will have your tankard !
And surely I will have mine !
And we will take a cup of kindness yet,
For days of long ago'

We two have run about the hills
And pulled the daisies fine :
But we have wandered many a weary foot
Since days of long ago.

We two have waded in the stream
From dawn till dinner-time :
But seas between us broad have roared
Since days of long ago.

And there's a hand my trusty friend !
And give me a hand of thine !
And we will take a large draught
For days of long ago.

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http://wilstar.com/xmas/auldlangsyne.htm for melody. (Open this in a separate window, and you can read the words and sing to the instrumental!

Good New Year to all of ye! from part Scot :

I wonder if "Kindness" in Scotland means hard core booze. I mean c'mon. Who wants to drink kindness unless there's some booze in it?

yes, actually, I'm surprised it didn't say that.. that lines means we'll pay for a cup... heheheh

I'll pay...lol....grace

hot diggity!

hehe. this is such a cool thread. I love learning things that I didn't know but have always wondered about!

KD

well, when I heard that exchange in When Harry Met Sally, I just had to know for sure...because I'd always wondered.....and I love that movie

Me too! (like that movie!) (learning things)

It measn old long ago, thats what most scottish people take from it. Drink a cup of kindness dear?............. well its sharing something between friends and yes its usually a whisky. I can translate the scottish words that have been posted if you want. Its really old scottish or as we say here , broad glaswegian!

oooppps, ive just realised someones already translated it?

Anything you can add is welcomed! Do you sing it for new year's too or is it just another song?

everybody, and i mean every body sings it. Its all you hear for days! Then it comes back in the middle of January for Burns night, thats where we celebrate Robert Burns and have a burns supper. Everyone eats haggis, people make speeches and toasts to the lads and lassies. Then the haggis is cut open and everyone eats. And at the end of the night, its Old lang syne again. Its a well sung song here in bonny scotland

Everyone eats haggis

I'm afraid to ask.

Petunia

sheep's pluck. I'm allergic to lamb. (some scot I make! Must the part that isn't scot. )

Sounds a lot like Mom's Fertilizer Casserole.

Think I'll stick to my Miracle Grow.

I had to look it up. Not sure I could "stomach" it.

Oh bpb...that was really baaaaaad.