After the toil of the hot day
from dawn till evening,
in the ritual fasting of the holy month,
as the weary afternoon withers,
like a light evening shower
You come to me, Aadila.
Like breathing, the holy breaking
of fast at sundown after the evening prayers.
You come to me as the sweet
soul-nourishing food.

O like milk and dates,
and the desert’s choicest fruit,
You fill me with love, Aadila,
You fill me with the sweetness of a prayer.

– Aadila Yasmin M & Ananthan K P

Note: This piece was previously published as “Aadila at Sundown” by Rowayat.