On language: Auld Lang Syne

Linda Elliott Mosier gave us the rendition of Auld Lang Syne by her choir in her FB page.  Katy kept listening to the theme song (also Auld Lang Syne) of the movie “Waterloo Bridge” (魂斷藍橋 is the more beautiful and heart-broken Chinese name of the movie, not to be confused with “D-Day the Sixth of June” again with a more beautiful and heart-broken Chinese name of 六月六日斷腸時) on the New Year Eve; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG3afAIi6IQ .  Peggy Noonan (the Wall Street Journal columnist) wrote a sentimental piece of “Days of Auld Lang What?” in the Dec. 31 op-ed page of wsj. There is no escape to Auld Lang Syne at this time of the year.

(photo credit to wsj, 12/31/10)

“Auld Lang Syne” is credited to the Scotish Bard, Robert Burns, who said he got it “from an old man” and he just wrote it down and sent it to the Scots Musical museum in 1788.  The poem is in Scots dialect (This is also why I have difficulty reading Burns) which can be translated as “old long since” or “long, long ago” or better yet “old times past” (photo credit to the Wall Street Journal, 12/31/10; it depicts Robert Burns writing down Auld Lang Syne song from an old man.)

Noonan mentioned the song is a staple (the greatest Auld Lang Syne scenes) in movies, the likes of “Out of Africa”, “When Harry met Sally”, The Gold Rush”, and above all, “It’s a Wonderful Life”; somehow she didn’t mention “Waterloo Bridge”.

I put this article in my “On language” series as this Scots dialect is well known, but the true meaning of which is not well understood.  The song of “Auld Lang Syne” evokes nostalgia; I am reminiscing my struggling of learning English language in auld lang syne.  Happy New Year.