Meaning
Life, existence, vitality.
See it in the verse
Hayaat in Iqbal’s couplets
Silsila-e-roz-o-shab, naqsh-gar-e-haadsat
Silsila-e-roz-o-shab, asl-e-hayat-o-mamat
Silsila-e-roz-o-shab, asl-e-hayat-o-mamat
The chain of day and night is the sculptor of all events; the chain of day and night is the root of life and of death.
Action · Self-Knowledge
Khudi kya hai raaz-e-darun-e-hayat
Khudi kya hai bedaari-e-kaayenat
Khudi kya hai bedaari-e-kaayenat
What is selfhood? The secret hidden inside life. What is selfhood? The waking-up of the whole universe.
Selfhood · Self-Knowledge · Awakening
Siina raushan ho to hai soz-e-sukhan ain-e-hayat
Ho na raushan to sukhan marg-e-davam ai saqi
Ho na raushan to sukhan marg-e-davam ai saqi
If the heart is lit within, the fire in one's words is life itself; if it is unlit, those words are a lasting death.
Self-Knowledge · Action · Love
Sai-e-paiham hai taraazu-e-kam-o-kaif-e-hayat
Teri mizan hai shumar-e-sahar-o-sham abhi
Teri mizan hai shumar-e-sahar-o-sham abhi
Ceaseless striving is the true scale for the measure and quality of a life; you, so far, still weigh life by the count of mornings and evenings.
Action · Aspiration · Restlessness
Har ek maqam se aage maqam hai tera
Hayat zauq-e-safar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Hayat zauq-e-safar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Beyond every station lies a station that is yours; life is nothing but the joy of the journey.
Restlessness · Aspiration · Action
Ragon mein gardish-e-khun 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 of it? Life is nothing but the burning of the heart.
Love · Awakening · Restlessness