Have a happy new year, everybody!

[conuly]

And many more, I hope. Every year, I get together and attempt to convince my family to sing Auld Lang Syne in its entirity. And every year I realize they don't wanna. Hmph. That's a pity, really, because I love that song... I honestly love it and will sing it willingly all year round.

Aside from the fact that I love that song, I love the fact that, once a year, people in this culture of "new and improved*" get together to sing a song in Scots, a language (or at least dialect) they don't even know about remembering the good ol' days.

So, for your viewing pleasure, I'll post all the verses to Auld Lang Syne I know, with a glossary of the Scots words.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne.
The bluid is cauld that winna warm
At thoughts o' lang syne.

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine.
We've wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin' auld lang syne.

Refrain

We twa hae sported i' the burn,
From morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.

Refrain


And ther's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Refrain

What gude the present day can gi'e,
May that be yours an' mine;
But beams o' fancy sweetest rest
On auld lang syne.

Refrain

We twa hae seen the simmer sun,
And thought it aye would shine;
But mony a cloud has come between,
Sin auld lang syne.

Refrain

But still my heart beats warm to thee,
And sae to me does thine,
Blest be the pow'r that still has left
The frien's o'lang syne.

Refrain

_____
A word to the wise. Never attempt to let me find out you've been stiffing me on verses in a song. I can and will memorize the entire thing and torment you with it in full. You've not lived until you've heard me sing all of "I caught a baby bumblebee".

Anyway, on to our glossary! Incidentally, most of my information is coming from this site so if they're wrong, correct me and blame them. I also decided not to translate the most obvious, use the dictionary at that site!

Auld: Old
Aye: Always
Bluid: Blood
Braes: Hills
Braid: Broad
Burn: Stream
Gowans: Daisies.

A note about the apostrophes: As near as I can tell, these serve no function in Scots other than to indicate that the spelling used is an English spelling system and that in English, the word appears to be missing a letter. It's absurd, of course, because they're not missing letters, that dialect/language doesn't have sounds there to be missed... but nevermind.


*_{As if anything could be both new AND improved at the same time! Illogical, much?}

Comments

[robbyrob.livejournal.com]

A word to the wise. Never attempt to let me find out you've been stiffing me on verses in a song. I can and will memorize the entire thing and torment you with it in full. You've not lived until you've heard me sing all of "I caught a baby bumblebee".


so its safe to presume you'd even torment someone with the song that never ends? quite the sacrificing soul!

this is the song that doesnt end, yes it goes on and on my friend.. some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they'll continue singing it forever just because [repeat xinfinity]

[conuly]

Infinite bottles of beer on the wall...


I know a song that gets on EVERYBODY'S NERVES! EVERYBODY'S NERVES! EVERYBODY'S NERVES! I know a song that gets on EVERYBODY'S NERVES, AND THIS IS HOW IT GOES! I know a song....