All trees and grass are rotten(cǎo mù jù xiǔ)

All trees and grass are rotten

Die like a plant, the world does not know. It's a metaphor for a man who has made no achievements in his life.

Source: biography of Zhu Mu in the book of the later Han Dynasty: "he and the grass and trees are decayed, and this is inclined to the gold and stone." usage: used as object and attribute; mostly used in figurative sentences

Chinese PinYin : cǎo mù jù xiǔ