Singing the song on Hogmanay or New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. Problems playing these files? See media help. In modern times, Matthew Fitt uses the phrase 'in the days of auld lang syne' as the equivalent of 'once upon a time' in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language. The phrase 'Auld Lang Syne' is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638), Allan Ramsay (1686–1757), and James Watson (1711), as well as older folk songs predating Burns. Consequently, 'For auld lang syne', as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as 'for the sake of old times'. The poem's Scots title may be translated into standard English as 'old long since' or, less literally, 'long long ago', 'days gone by', 'times long past' or 'old times'. 'Auld Lang Syne' is listed as numbers 622 in the Roud Folk Song Index. In 1799, it was set to a traditional tune, which has since become standard. The text is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 but based on an older Scottish folk song. By extension, it is also often heard at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions for instance, many branches of the Scouting movement use it to close jamborees and other functions. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve/Hogmanay. ' Auld Lang Syne' ( Scots pronunciation: note rather than ) is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. John Masey Wright and John Rogers' illustration of the poem, c.

Rabbie burns auld lang syne