LL-L: "Lyrics" LOWLANDS-L, 24.DEC.1999 (02) [E/S]

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From: John M. Tait [jmtait at altavista.net]
Subject: LL-L: "Lyrics" LOWLANDS-L, 22.DEC.1999 (03) [E]

Gerald wrote:

>Below is hand and OCR transcription of 'Auld Lang Syne'
>from a scan of page 376 of
>"The Poetical Works of Robert Burns"
>London, Eyre & Spottiswoode (Bible Warehouse), Ltd.
>33 Paternoster Row, E.C. (No Date)
>
>376
>
>Auld Lang Syne
>
>Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
>And never brought to min'?
>Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
>And days o'lang syne?
>
>CHORUS.
>
>For auld lang syne, my dear,
>For auld lang syne,
>We'll tak' a cup o'kindness yet,
>For auld lang syne?
>
>We twa ha'e run about the braes,
>And pu’t the gowans fine;
>But we've wandered mony a weary foot
>Sin' auld lang syne.
>For auld, &c.
>
>We twa ha'e paidl't i' the burn,
>Frae mornin' sun till dine;
>But seas between us braid ha'e roared
>Sin auld lang syne.
>For auld, &c.
>
>And here's a hand, my trustie fiere,*
>And gie's a hand o'thine;
>And we'll tak' a right guid willie-waught,**
>For auld lang syne.
>For auld, &c.
>
>And surely ye'11 be your pint-stoup,
>And surely I'll be mine;
>And we'll tak' a cup o'kindness yet
>For auld lang syne.
>For auld, &c.

The version in my (old battered 2nd hand) edition of Burns corresponds with
the version provided by Colin rather than with this one. Anything in this
edition about using different sources?

"willie-waught" above is certainly wrong. Even Scots sometimes imagine
nowadays that there is such a thing as a "willie-waught", but it's
'guid-willie waught'. The guid-willie means 'with good will' and
corresponding phrases are e.g. 'ill-willie' (vindictive) and 'holy-willie'
(pious, sanctimonious). In Shetland there is 'traa-willie', meaning
obstinate and corresponding to the more common Scots 'thrawn'.

Another common mistake is to sing 'for the sake o auld lang syne' - again,
Scots often do this as well. It seems to be quite difficult for non-Scots
to say 'syne' (which literally means 'ago') and is pronounced something
like [s at in]. I've often heard the phrase pronounced [old l{N zain] instead
of [O:ld laN s at in] in recordings (I think Paul MacCartney was one
perpetrator.)

A hertie Yuiltide an a guid New Year ti ane an aa.

John M. Tait.

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