Auld Lang Syne

Here is today's Latin Christmas carol; you can read one carol per day for the month of December, or see the complete collection all at once. For the last holiday song, I found a Latin translation of the traditional old English song, "Auld Lang Syne." You can find the traditional lyrics at the Hymns and Carols of Christmas website, along with the version containing additional stanzas added by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788. There's also a very handy explanation in modern English of what the words mean!

I found this Latin translation of "Auld Lang Syne" at the page of Harry Maynard's Latin carols, but it is not clear if Maynard is the translator himself. Does anyone have any further information about who did this Latin translation? You will notice that the chorus here combines elements of the traditional chorus with motifs from the final verse which otherwise has been omitted.

Num amicorum veterum
decet oblivisci?
Annorum heu fugacium
et temporis acti?
CHORUS
Actum, sodales, ob tempus
praeteritum tempus,
priusquam discesserimus,
manus iungamus.

Flores olim decerpsimus
ludentes in pratis,
sed aspera peragravimus
diebus ex illis.
CHORUS

Et agebamus vacuos
dies ad rivulum;
sed dividit iam diu nos
aequor undosum.
CHORUS

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Here are the carols I have completed so far:
December 1: Rudolphus
December 2: Angelus ad Virginem
December 3: Aquifolia Ornate
December 4: A Solis Ortus Cardine
December 5: O Viri, Este Hilares
December 6: Conditor Alme Siderum
December 7: Angeli Canunt Praecones
December 8: Regis Olim Urbe David
December 9: Gaudium Mundo
December 10: Resonet in Laudibus
December 11: Adeste Fideles
December 12: Christe, Redemptor Omnium
December 13: Dum Servant Pecus Pastores
December 14: Primum Noel Cecinit Angelus
December 15: In Dulci Iubilo
December 16: Procul in Praesaepi
December 17: Gaudete
December 18: Quem Pastores Laudavere
December 19: Orientis Reges Tres
December 20: Lapsi Caelo Super Gentes
December 21: Silens Nox
December 22: Corde Natus Ex Parentis
December 23: Veni, Veni Emmanuel!
December 24: En, Nocte Venit Media
December 25: O Parve Vice Bethlehem
December 26: Rex Wenceslaus
December 27: Tinnitus, Tinnitus
December 28: XII Dies Natalis
December 29: Dormi Jesu
December 30: Somnio Candidum Diem

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Bolchazy-Carducci has a Latin Christmas Carol music CD! With 12 songs in Latin, O Abies: O Christmas Tree is available at amazon.com for $17.00

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