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Monday, December 31, 2012

Song: "Auld Lang Sune" by Robert Burns in 1788


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 jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie's a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

English translation

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old 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 you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

4 comments:

  1. Prayers for a very happy and blessed new year for you John.

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  2. "Make new friends, but keep the old.
    One is silver and the other gold."
    Now that I'm officially an "aged" person according to the National Library of Medicine's age categories, I appreciate even more the sentiments expressed by Burns (who sadly did not live to be even middle-aged in that classification system). The old friendships only grow dearer through the years and even though new friends can sometimes touch us in ways no one else ever has, only the old friends know who we were and how we have come to be who we are. Being an only child and therefore not have siblings who might remember me when I was young, it is only my old friends who recall those innocent days of rambling in the hills, picking daisies or paddling in the streams, our young hopes and dreams, our silliness, our sadness, our awakening to the larger world and to grief, whether it was the death of a pet or of a parent. They are all far away, now, and even if the seas do not divide us, the distance and the time and the limitations of aging prevent our getting together as often as we would like. Thank God for telephones (and now Skype or Facetime) and the Internet that let us keep in touch. I never used to understand why "Auld Lang Syne" was a New Year's song, but now as it is harder to let go of the past, which after all can't be changed and whatever joy or achievement or love we may have had can never be taken away from us (unless we lose our memories to Alzheimer's), and harder to have much hope for our personal futures (declining health and death becoming more iminent every day) or for the future of many things we have held dear (our nation, our Church, our culture, our planet), I can understand the impulse to share a "cup o' kindness" to honor the times that are inexorably slipping away for all the growth and goodness they brought to us despite or perhaps by means of the struggles, even as we try to fortify ourselves for those that are to come. May all your memories be kind ones this New Year's Eve, and may this new year bring you many good gifts and unexpected joys.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, the grow old gracefully. Friends will help us along the way. I love that phrase in the song too, "Share a cup of kindness." May the good Lord abundantly bless you in 2013, especially as we all come to grips with our mortality. May we learn how to live well and harmoniously with the world around us. May we always keep our friends who know our past so we can integrate who we were with who we are. Peace and all good things.

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