Aab-e hayat (Azad)

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Aab-e hayat (Urdu: آبِ حیات; Elixir of Life) is a tazkira, a commentary on Urdu poetry, written by Muhammad Husain Azad in 1880. It is considered canon-forming and was the most widely read and often reprinted Urdu book of its time. The work is regarded as the first chronological history of Urdu poetry and became the main source for many anecdotes and ideas about its history.

The second edition, published in 1883, was included in the official curriculums at Punjab University and several other schools. Aab-e hayat also offers an important view on the origin of Urdu, noting that while Urdu developed from Sanskrit and Bhasha, it flowered under Persian influence. It discusses Delhi as an early center of the language, stating that the court and the gatherings of nobility and scholars helped shape its art, refinement, and wit.