Breac à linne, slat à coille ‘s fiadh à fìreach -mèirle às nach do ghabh Gàidheal riamh nàire

Breac à linne, slat à coille ‘s fiadh à fìreach
-mèirle às nach do ghabh Gàidheal riamh nàire

A trout from the river pool, a staff from the wood and a deer from the moor
– thefts of which no Gael was ever ashamed

Sgrìobh Àdhamh Ó Broin: “Chan eil e duilich a thuigsinn carson nach robh daoine ag aontachadh leis an rian ùr airson a’ feumachdainn ceadan airson còraichean bunaiteach agus fìor còraichean bho shean nuair a thàinig e gu bhith.”

Ma thàinig seannfhacail seo bho linn nuair a bha fearann ​​uile le uaislean agus rìoghalachd, tuigidh sinn an seannfhacail. An urrainn craobh, fèidh, no iasg a bhith le aon neach? Dè an eucoir as motha? A’ cumail biadh bhon acras, no ga thoirt bho fhear a bhios a’ càrnadh? An e an fhìor ghoid nach do roinn an duine-uasal?

Àdhamh Ó Broin wrote: “It is not difficult to see why the current system of requiring permits to exercise basic and very ancient rights did not sit well when it came into being.”

If this saying came from a time when all land was owned by nobles and royalty, we can understand the saying. Can any one person own a tree, a deer, or a fish? What is the greater offense? Keeping food from the hungry or taking it from one who hoards? Is the failure of the nobleman to share the real theft?