A day of peace
A day to please
Festive air, a well-fed ram
Penury put many in a jam
Beyond reach is a small ram
Being no season to eat ham
For unclean meat brings harm.
For the poor no meat to fry
Hopes shattered and children cry
Poverty made it seem fair
For the poor to fear
And the rich to eat
More meat than required to beat
Hunger and thirst for days
Pity for life’s cruel ways.
Lessons of Sallah are really clear
Feed the needy and relations dear
Give them succour that relieves
hardship
Glorify the Lord in acts of worship
For such a blessed day
That is Sallah day.
Bilkisu Yusuf
EDITOR’S NOTE
Originally published in Citizen on 31 May 1993, p. 39. This diplomatic transcription preserves the wording and lineation visible in the archived page.