Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Jan. 2, 2007

The Dumfrieshire derby is new. This only the third meeting between the neighbouring towns Dumfries and Gretna. In fact Gretna is more akin to a village. The one is experiencing dwindling crowds in a partly ramshackled ground and relegation, the other heading to promotion and to Glasgow and Edinburgh and the north to take on the Scottish football power-base. The towns are on the Rabbie Burns tourist trail (where he sewed his seeds ever in search of a Queen, spillt his cup, conjured imperfect perfect lines of poetry). He as she was probably in the crowd in this ghostly Palmerston Park of a winter’s full moon.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup of kindness yet,
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!

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine,
But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

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.

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