"Auld Lang Syne" (Was: What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"?)

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "sistermagpie" <sistermagpie at ...> wrote:
>
> > Carol:
> > That's good to hear. But what about the people under forty, 
> especially
> > Americans? I heard a commentator on "The Today Show" or one of 
> those
> > morning programs (I was channel-switching) saying that she was glad
> > someone or other was doing an instrumental version of "Auld Lang 
> Syne"
> > because "nobody knows the words." Obviously, she was speaking for
> > herself (I'm guessing she doesn't even know the meaning of the 
> title),
> > but how accurate is her assumption? Are we losing yet another 
> tradition?
> 
> Magpie:
> Not sure, but I'm under 40 still and sang it on New Year's Eve!
> 
> Though I think there are probably people still older who ask, as 
> Harry did in "When Harry Met Sally" "What does this song mean? My 
> whole life I've wondered what this song meant. Should old 
> aquaintance be forgot. Does that mean that we should forget our old 
> aquaintance or does it mean if we have forgotten them we should 
> remember them, which is impossible because we already forgot them?"
> 
> Or something like that.:-)

Geoff:
Courtesy of Google:

AULD LANG SYNE

Words adapated from a traditional song
by Rabbie Burns (1759-96)

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 tak a cup of 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!

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin 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.

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

Meanings

auld lang syne - times gone by
be - pay for
braes - hills
braid - broad
burn - stream
dine - dinner time
fiere - friend
fit - foot
gowans - daisies
guid-willie waught - goodwill drink
monie - many
morning sun - noon
paidl't - paddled
pint-stowp - pint tankard
pou'd - pulled
twa - two