Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns

It's Scots for "old long since," which refers to times long past or the old days. This phrase conveys the notion of reflecting on all that has happened before, rather than focusing on a single memory.

Both, sort of. Burns mentioned to a friend that he had gathered it from an old man, but the version we recognize is likely his own creation, crafted from an earlier piece. He often presented his own works as rediscovered folk songs, driven by a mix of modesty and his desire to promote Scottish culture.

The song honors the past and those who shaped it, making it a fitting tribute as one year fades into the next. Scottish emigrants took this tradition around the globe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it became a lasting custom. Guy Lombardo's well-known New Year's Eve broadcasts on radio and TV in North America helped solidify its presence throughout the 20th century.

Friendship, without a doubt. The dear in the chorus may come off as romantic to us today, but back in Burns's era, it was simply a term of endearment used among close friends. The scenes depicted in the poem — running on hillsides, splashing in streams, treating each other to drinks — all highlight a deep platonic connection rather than a romantic one.

Burns wrote in the Scots dialect, which some consider a separate language while others see it as a close relative of English. It has its own unique vocabulary and spelling. For instance, words like braes (hillsides), gowans (daisies), burn (stream), and fere (companion) belong to Scots, not English. Today, most people singing the song rely more on their memory of the sounds than on the actual meanings.

It's a drink shared in a spirit of goodwill. Burns uses it as a symbol of friendship — raising a glass to someone is a simple, tangible way of saying I appreciate you and the moments we've spent together.

Braid means broad or wide. The line suggests that vast, roaring seas have separated the two friends since their younger days — a striking image representing the physical and emotional distance that time creates between people who were once close.

It's both at once, which is why it resonates so deeply. There's genuine sorrow in the thought that time pulls us apart and that those carefree days of youth are behind us. Yet the song doesn’t dwell on that sadness — it counters that grief by toasting to the past, reaching out a hand, and choosing to celebrate what once was. That blend of melancholy and warmth is exactly what makes it feel authentic.