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Auld Lang Syne

In answer to Mr Russell's plea for the proper version of Auld Lang Syne (January 15), and Mr Watson's reply (January 24), let me quote from Burns's Complete Works, Kilmarnock edition.

Burns's name is not affixed to this world-famous song, and yet there can be no doubt it is chiefly his own. He admitted to Johnson that the two verses beginning respectively ''We twa hae ran about the braes'' and ''We twa hae paidl'd in the burn'' are his own, although in sending the song to Mrs Dunlop in December, 1788, and also in writing about it to Thomson in September, 1793, he speaks of it as ancient.

We are indebted to George Thomson for selecting the fine old air of Can Ye Labour Lea, which by universal consent has now become identified with the present song:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld long syne?
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-stoup,
And surely I'll be mine;
And we'll tak' a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd,
Sin' auld lang syne.
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak' a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

Robbie Geddes Drummond,

58 Faskine Avenue,

Airdrie.

Thu 01-Feb-1990