Friday, December 31, 2010

HISTORY BEHIND AULD LANG SYNE: THE NEW YEAR'S EVE SONG!!




    There are many traditions on New Year's.  One of the most famous is the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" at the stroke of midnight.  But who wrote this song and why do we sing it?  This is a question many people do not know it, it has just become part of tradition.  The song was originally written in 1790 by a Scottish poet by the name of Robert Burns.  Many of the lyrics from the first verse and the chorus are strikingly similar to a 1711 poem by James Watson.  The song really took off in 1929 when bandleader Guy Lombardo began broadcasting this song on his radio broadcast on New Years Eve.  The song quickly spread throughout the British Isles.  As people emigrated to the United States and other countries, they took with them the song as a custom of singing "Auld Lang Syne" with them.
   Here are the lyrics to Robert Burns' song with translation to some words you may not know.

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 take 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 take 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 lange 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

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...