人生一世，草木一春

rénshēngyīshì,cǎomùyīchūn
Man has but one life, grass but one spring (idiom). fig. the brevity of human existence

CEDICT

Entry Composition

1 人生 rénshēng life (one's time on earth)
2 一世 yīshì
  1. generation
  2. period of 30 years
  3. one's whole lifetime
  4. lifelong
  5. age
  6. era
  7. times
  8. the whole world
  9. the First (of numbered European kings)
3 草木 cǎomù
  1. vegetation
  2. plants
4 一 yī
  1. one
  2. single
  3. a (article)
  4. as soon as
  5. entire; whole; all; throughout
  6. "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1)
  7. also pr. yāo for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit
=5 春 chūn old variant of 春 chūn
=5 春 chūn
  1. spring (season)
  2. gay
  3. joyful
  4. youthful
  5. love
  6. lust
  7. life