Whether the world knows it or not, a
large swath of humanity pays homage to Robert Burns, the poet laureate of
Scotland, when celebrating the New Year.
His poem and song, Auld Lang Syne, written in 1788, will be sung at
midnight by hundreds of millions of people around the globe, and I would guess
that only a minuscule percentage of those revelers will know who wrote it and
what it means. (The phrase Auld Lang Syne can be roughly translated as “old
times” or “days gone by”.)
While I could find no reference to
Robert Burns playing golf during a quick trip through the Internet, I believe
he was a sportsman, as he was a member of the Royal Company of Archers in 1792. And Burns was
born in Ayrshire, home of several of the world’s greatest courses (Royal Troon,
Turnberry and Prestwick Golf Club, the home of the first Open
Championship).
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| The best-laid schemes... |
While
the game of golf predates Auld Lang Syne by centuries (the first documented
mention of golf in Scotland appears in a 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament,
an edict issued by King James II of Scotland prohibiting the
playing of the games of golf and
football as these were a
distraction from archery practice for
military purposes) it’s hard to imagine a true Scotsman who does not (and for
many centuries did not) have golf in his blood.
So give a passing thought to
Rabbie (not Rabbi) Burns when you drunkenly warble his melancholy
tribute to days gone by at midnight tonight, and dream later of making memories
in the future from rounds of golf played with friends and family.
Here are the original words to
perhaps the world’s most famous poem:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne.?
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.
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 o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
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 pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.
and pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.
CHORUS
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.
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
sin' auld lang syne.
Copyright
R.E. Kelly 2012-2018
AMDG
