A bit o' Burns...

[alexpgp]

AULD LANG SYNE

Should auld aquaintance be forgot,
  And never brought to min'?
Should auld aquaintance be forgot,
  And auld lang syne?

    For auld lang syne, my dear.
      For auld lang syne,
    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 wander'd mony a weary foot
  Sin' auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidled i' the burn,
  From morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
  Sin' auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
  And gie's a hand o' thine;
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
  For auld lang syne.

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

        -- Robert Burns

(Wordsworth Poetry Library)

Somewhere I have a copy of Carlysle's essay on Burns, and it includes a selection of Burns' poetry, including Auld Lang Syne. The stanzas there are arranged in a somewhat different order, and I've found yet other orderings on what one might expect would be authoritative sites (e.g., robertburns.org).

But the order of the stanzas matters little to me. It's a grand poem.

Cheers...