Meaning
The water of life; the fabled elixir of immortality sought in the land of darkness, an emblem of eternal spirit.
Literally: the water of life
See it in the verse
Aab-e-Hayat in Iqbal’s couplets
Yunan o Misr o Roma sab mit gaye jahan se
Ab tak magar hai baqi naam-o-nishan hamara
Ab tak magar hai baqi naam-o-nishan hamara
Greece, Egypt and Rome have all vanished from the world — yet to this day our name and trace remain.
Adversity · Hope
Har ik muqam se aage muqam hai tera
Hayat zauq-e-safar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Hayat zauq-e-safar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Beyond every destination lies another that is yours; life is nothing but the love of the journey.
Restlessness · Aspiration · The Falcon
Ragon mein gardish-e-khoon hai agar to kya hasil
Hayat soz-e-jigar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Hayat soz-e-jigar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
If blood merely circulates in your veins, what have you gained? Life is nothing but the burning of the heart.
Restlessness · Love · Awakening
Giraanbaha hai to hifz-e-khudi se hai warna
Gauhar mein aab-e-gauhar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Gauhar mein aab-e-gauhar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
If you are precious, it is from guarding your selfhood; otherwise a pearl is nothing but the lustre that is its own.
Selfhood · Self-Knowledge
Bagh-e-bahisht se mujhe hukm-e-safar diya tha kyun
Kaar-e-jahan daraz hai ab mera intzar kar
Kaar-e-jahan daraz hai ab mera intzar kar
Why did You order me out of the garden of paradise? The work of the world is long now — so wait for me.
Selfhood · Aspiration · Courage
Mard-e-Khuda ka amal ishq se sahib-e-firogh
Ishq hai asl-e-hayat maut hai is par haraam
Ishq hai asl-e-hayat maut hai is par haraam
The deeds of the man of God shine with love; love is the essence of life, and death is forbidden to touch it.
Love · Aspiration · Action