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Tha am facal neapaigin inntinneach, nach eil? Tha e a’ tighinn bhon Bheurla napkin. Neapaigin. Nochd e ann am Beurla an toiseach anns a’ cheathramh linn deug. Bha e a’ ciallachadh clobhd a bhiodh daoine a’ cleachdadh airson an corragan no beul a ghlanadh nuair a bha iad ag ithe. Dh’atharraich am facal Beurla cuideachd gu nappy. Ach cha bhi sinn a’ cleachdadh neapaigin airson baby’s nappy ann an Gàidhlig. Bidh sinn ag ràdh badan airson sin – badan.

Co-dhiù, tha neapaigin ann an Gàidhlig a’ ciallachadh napkin no handkerchief. Ciamar, ma-thà, a nì sinn cinnteach gu bheil sinn a’ bruidhinn air handkerchief? Dh’fhaodamaid ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹ no ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹id a ràdh. Bithibh mothachail cuideachd gum bi cuid ag ràdh neapaigear, no neapraigear no neapraigin, an àite neapaigin.

Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu sheann chleas a bh’ aig na Gàidheil o shean air an robh ‘Fàg, fàg an Neapaigin-pòca’. Bha e air a chluich le clann-nighean. Agus seo mar a tha e a’ dol.

Ach a-mhàin aon tè, bidh a’ chuideachd nan suidhe astar beag o chèile (agus chaidh an cleas seo a chruinneachadh fada ro Chovid 19!) An tè a sheasas an-àirde, is ise a’ Bhanrigh. Bidh i ri falbhan, no a’ coiseachd mun cuairt. Na làimh bidh ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹. Bu chòir don neapaigin a bhith glan! Bidh a’ Bhanrigh ag ràdh seo:

Fàg, fàg an ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹, Tha a’ chearc a’ gur, ʼS tha a’ phoit a’ goil, Aran is ìm is breacagan eòrna, Cò aig’ a bhios an ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹?

A bheil e agad? Tha ruitheam ann ged nach eil e ciallach. Canaidh mi an rann a-rithist.

Fàg, fàg an ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹, Tha a’ chearc a’ gur, ʼS tha a’ phoit a’ goil, Aran is ìm is breacagan eòrna, Cò aig’ a bhios an ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹?

An uair sin, bidh a’ Bhànrigh ag ràdh ris a h-uile duine sa chuideachd, Dùin do shùil is tog do cheann. Dùin do shùil is tog do cheann. Leis a sin, dùinidh ³¦Ã ³¦³ó an sùilean agus togaidh iad an cinn. 

Fàgaidh a’ Bhanrigh an neapaigin air gnùis tè de na caileagan. Bidh i a’ falbh an uair sin na deann. A bheil sibh a’ tuigsinn na h-abairt sin? Bidh i a’ falbh na deann. She leaves hurriedly, in a rush. Bidh i a’ falbh na deann. 

Feumaidh a’ chaileag a fhuair an neapaigin air a gnùis leum gu a casan agus a’ Bhanrigh a leantainn – airson a glacadh. Chan e a-mhàin gum bi i ga leantainn, ach gum bi i a’ dèanamh a h-uile rud a bhios a’ Bhanrigh a’ dèanamh. A h-uile car a chuireas a’ Bhanrigh dhith, feumaidh caileag na neapaigin an cur dhith mar an ceudna.

Ma nì caileag na neapaigin mearachd sam bith, canaidh ³¦Ã ³¦³ó, Loisg thu toll nad bhrochan. Loisg thu toll nad bhrochan. Agus thèid an nighean sin a chur a-mach às a’ ghèam. Ach ma bheireas i air a’ Bhanrigh mus dèan i mearachd, bidh ise a-nise na Banrigh agus tòisichidh an cleas às ùr.

Nach math gu bheil cleasan mar sin air an gleidheadh againn ann an clò, le briathrachas Gàidhlig nan cois. Oir tha amharas agam nach bi clann-nighean an latha an-diugh a’ cluich seo – ged a dh’fhaodainn a bhith ceàrr. Fhuair mi am fear seo às an t-seann leabhar Aithris is Oideas – stòras math de chleasan is beul-aithris.

Faclan na Litreach: neapaigin: napkin, handkerchief; badan: child’s nappy; ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹: handkerchief; ruitheam: rhythm; rann: verse.

Abairtean na Litreach: clobhd a bhiodh daoine a’ cleachdadh airson an corragan no beul a ghlanadh nuair a bha iad ag ithe: a cloth that people would use to clean their fingers or mouth(s) when they were eating; mu sheann chleas a bh’ aig na Gàidheil o shean air an robh ‘Fàg, fàg an Neapaigin-pòca’: about an old game that the Gaels had in olden times called ‘Leave, leave the handkerchief’; an tè a sheasas an-àirde, is ise a’ Bhanrigh: the one that stands up, she is the Queen; bidh i ri falbhan: she walks around (fairly aimlessly); tha a’ chearc a’ gur: the hen is sitting on eggs; tha a’ phoit a’ goil: the pot is boiling; aran is ìm is breacagan eòrna: bread and butter and barley bannocks; cò aig’ a bhios an ²Ô±ð²¹±è²¹¾±²µ¾±²Ô-±èò³¦²¹: who will have the handkerchief?: dùin do shùil is tog do cheann: close your eye(s) and raise your head; air gnùis tè de na caileagan: on the face of one of the girls; bidh i a’ falbh an uair sin na deann: she then leaves in a rush; a bheil sibh a’ tuigsinn na h-abairt sin?: do you understand that phrase?; airson a glacadh: in order to catch her; chan e a-mhàin gum bi i ga leantainn: not only will she follow her; ach gum bi i a’ dèanamh a h-uile rud a bhios a’ Bhanrigh a’ dèanamh: but she will do everything the Queen does; a h-uile car a chuireas a’ Bhanrigh dhith: every twist and turn the Queen makes; loisg thu toll nad bhrochan: you burned a hole in your porridge; ma bheireas i air a’ Bhanrigh mus dèan i mearachd: if she catches the Queen before she makes a mistake; nach math gu bheil cleasan mar sin air an gleidheadh againn ann an clò: isn’t it good that we have games like that preserved for us in print; dh’fhaodainn a bhith ceàrr: I could be wrong.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: dùnaidh ³¦Ã ³¦³ó an sùilean agus togaidh iad an cinn: the others will close their eyes and lift their heads. Remember that ³¦Ã ³¦³ó, although translated as ‘the others’ in English has no article in Gaelic. A bheil ³¦Ã ³¦³ó deiseil? ‘are the others ready?’ The genitive form is ³¦³óྱ³¦³ó, again with no article. Dè beachd chàich? ‘what is the opinion of the others?’

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: feumaidh caileag na neapaigin an cur dhith mar an ceudna: the handkerchief girl must twist and turn in the same way.