Auld Lang Syne Poem

We all know the tradition of singing Auld Lang Syne to ring in the New Year, but do we know the poem or lyrics? Most of us can’t get past the first line or two without needing a little help. That’s where this printable design comes to the rescue.

Recently, our family gathered on New Year’s Eve, and I decided to invite the neighbors to a sing-along of Auld Lang Syne at an appointed time. A kind gentleman in our community plays the bagpipes, and he agreed to come and accompany us.

It had been a rough year with Covid, and we were all looking for a way to kick 2020 to the curb and look forward to a new year. It seemed like the perfect solution to gather everyone in the neighborhood for a few minutes of singing from their respective porches.

The weather was mighty cold, the bagpipes were hard to play, and our singing was off-key, but we LOVED the simple sing-along experience that brought us all together for a few minutes.

Auld Lang Syne Poem History

A little history lesson here. Auld Lang Syne was originally written as a poem by a Scot named Robert Burns in 1788. But it was based on an older Scottish folk song, and Burns actually attributed the words to an anonymous old man. Still, he’s most credited for the poem.

As you can imagine, it’s been edited, modernized, remade many times. I decided to attribute a contemporary version in this printable since the original poem is old Scottish and practically impossible for modern Americans to pronounce. You can sing along with Dougie MacLean’s recordings found on YouTube or simply make the attempt with the music we traditionally play for it.

The design here shows you all the verses, but we typically sing just the first verse and chorus. Still, it’s educational to show that there’s more and at least glance through it a bit.

Whether you’d like to sing Auld Lang Syne or display the poem beautifully at your family gathering, this printable is a classy way to do it.

Auld Lang Syne Meaning

The Scottish title literally means Old Long Since. Most of us loosely translate that to something like “for old time’s sake.” After all, at the end of one year, as we ring in the new, we are celebrating what was and looking forward to what might be. We gather with friends and remember the good times. 

Hopefully Auld Lang Syne plays a part in your New Year’s Eve tradition as you share it with your children and posterity. It’s fun to pass along a key part of the celebration, uniting decades of people and families.

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