Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Only 20 days until season 5 of Lost and 15 days until the second half of season 4 (the final season) of Battlestar Galactica! After such a long haitus for both shows, their return will get my new year off to a good start.

Speaking of the new year, in case you didn't read "Annie's Mailbox" (i.e., Ann Landers) today, you might be wondering about the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne," the traditionally sung on New Year's Eve.

The version we know best was written in Scottish by poet Robert Burns. The first stanza seems fairly understandable:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne
We'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Those words seem fairly straightforward and familiar, but they get a little tricky after that:

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pu'd the gowans fine
But we've wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin auld lang syne

We twa hae paidlet i' the burn,
Frae morning sun sill dine
But seas between us braid hae roar'd,
Sin auld lang syne

And there's a hand, my trusty feire,
And gie's a hand o' thine
And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

Of course, few of us speak 18th-century Scottish, although you can use this to impress your friends. Here is the translation of the entire song:

Should old friends be forgotten
and never brought to mind?
Should old friends be forgotten
and the days they shared together?
For days now in the past, my dear,
For days now in the past
We'll drink a toast of kind remembrance,
For days now in the past

You can pay for your pint tankard and I will pay for mine
We'll drink a toast of kind remembrance,
For days now in the past

We two have fun about the hillsides and pulled wild daisies
But now we are far apart in distance,
From those days now in the past

We two have paddled in the stream from morning until noon
But oceans now lie between us since those days now in the past
So take my hand, my trusty friend and give me your hand
And we will take a hearty drink together,
In memory of those days now in the past.

Makes more sense now, doesn't it? Remembering the past while looking forward to the future: a good way to start the new year!