Burns

Postcard illustrating "Auld Lang Syne"

Period:

20th Century

Description:

Postcard of a cartoon illustrating Burns' poem, "Auld Lang Syne".  A colour lithograph of a scene from Robert Burns' most famous song. It illustrates the verse beginning, "An' there's a hand, my trusty fiere".  The cartoon depicts two elderly gentlemen shaking hands in front of a hearth.

 

 "Auld Lang Syne" is frequently mis-quoted, as it is here. The postcard quotes the stanza as "An' here's a hand, my trusty freen".

 

Robert Burns created "Auld Lang Syne", perhaps the best known song in the English language, although it is actually written in Scots, by reworking a fragment of a traditional song which he had collected.  He first wrote down a version of it in 1788 whilst living at Ellisland Farm, 5 miles north of Dumfries.

Materials/Media:

paper

Dimensions:

length 89mm, width 140mm

Source:

Robert Burns Centre

Accession number:

BUR/247

Digital Number:

BCBN052a

Creation Date:

c1905

Copyright:

Dumfries & Galloway Council