What does the song auld lang syne mean?

[Anonymous]

What does this song mean? My whole life, I don't know what this song means. I mean, 'Should old acquaintance be forgot'. Does that mean that we should forget old acquaintances? Or does it mean that if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot 'em?

[Ozanne]

Your question and post is not yours, but a direct line from When Harry Met Sally, when Harry and Sally realize their love for each other on New Year's Eve.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/RpW1lccxogQ

To answer this question seriously though, 'auld lang syne' literally means 'old long since'. The song is about happily leaving the past behind.

[purplepoppy]

Firstly the song was written in scots so doesn't translate perfectly to English. A direct translation would be old long since but it's best to think of it more as for old times. Generally phrases for time don't translate well across languages

The bit should auld acquaintance be forgot, is a rhetorical question reminding you to remember old friends not suggesting you do.

[NamerOfStars]

The literal translation is "old long since", which doesn't really answer your question. "For auld lang syne" is perhaps better put as "for old time's sake"; the song (and the poem itself) is about asking whether it's right that old times be forgotten, and implies that one should remember old friendships and good times.

[LiamJHayden]

"old long since" literally, or "times long past" or a similar concept. Thinking about it makes me wonder if it was the inspiration, at least in part, for "As Time Goes By."