Man—his origin is dust and his end is dust
Figuratively: Man is a fragile and material being whose life is brief and transient.
("Man—his origin is dust and his end is dust. With his soul he earns his bread. He is like a broken shard, withered grass, a fading flower, a passing shadow, a dissolving cloud, a blowing wind, flying dust, and a fleeting dream." – from the piyyut Unetaneh Tokef, recited on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
אָדָם-יְסוֹדוֹ מֵעָפָר וְסוֹפוֹ לֶעָפָר
Definition (Hebrew)
בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: הָאָדָם הוּא יְצוּר חַלָּשׁ וְחָמְרָנִי שֶׁחַיָּיו קְצָרִים.
("אָדָם יְסוֹדוֹ מֵעָפָר וְסוֹפוֹ לֶעָפָר/ בְּנַפְשׁוֹ יָבִיא לָחֲמוּ/ מָשׁוּל כְּחֶרֶס הַנִּשְׁבָּר/ כְּחָצִיר יָבֵשׁ וּכְצִיץ נוֹבֵּל/ כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר/ וּכְעָנָן כַּלָּה/ וְכָרוּחַ נוֹשֶׁבֶת וּכְאָבָק פּוֹרֵחַ/ וְכַחֲלוֹם יָעוּף" - פִּיּוּט "וּנְתַנֶּה תֹּקֶף" הַנֶּאֱמָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים)