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Scottish Songs
Auid lang syne (1)
(Traditional)
From “A Song-book of Folk and Pop Music”
by Mario Papa & Giuliano Iantorno, Zanichelli Editore, Bologna, 1977
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?
Chorus:
And days of auld lang syne, my dear,
And days of auld lang syne,
Should ald acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?
And there’s a hand, my trusty friend,
And gi’s (2) a hand o’thine’ (3),
We’ll take a cup o’kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup o’kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
1. This song was oríginally written by Robert Burns in Scots. It means, in English, ‘old days gone by’. The music was an old Scottish tune. The famous poet, born in Scotland, wrote about three hundred original and traditional songs, both in the Scots dialect and in standard English. People in Britain generally sing this song on special occasions such as New Year’s Eve when they gather eíther at home or in the local pubs and enjoy their glasses of whisky or beer!
2. Gi’s: give us.
3. O’thine: of thine; thine: yours (old use).
The News Chronicle Song Book gives an easier alternative, ‘A Smile’, which may be sung to the tune of ‘Auld lang syne’.
A Smile
A smile is quite a funny thing,
It wrinkles up your face,
And when it’s gone you’ll never find
Its secret hiding piace.
But far more wonderful it is
To see what smiles can do,
You smile at one, he smiles at you,
And so one smile makes two.
Robert Burns (1759-1796)
Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, was born in 1759 at Alloway, in a cottage which now ís a Burns museum. Robbie Burns’ Night, the date of the poet’s birth, is celebrated all over the world by Scotsmen. Burns had a great capacìty for love, friendship, and hearty tavern fellowship, and these attitudes provide the chief themes of his poetry. The song ‘A Red, Red Rose’ is an example of the poet’s qualities.
A Red Red Rose
O my love is like a red red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my love is like the melody,
That’s sweetly played in tune.
As fair are you, my bonnie lass (1),
So Jeep in love am I;
And I will love you still, my dear
Till all the seas go dry.
Till all the seas go dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt with the sun;
And I will love you still, my dear,
Whíle the sands of life shall run.
And fare you well, my only love!
And fare you well a while;
And I will come again, my love,
Though it were ten thousand mile.
R. Burns
(1) Lass: girl
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