expression
art is long, life is short
A proverb meaning that artistic works endure while human life is fleeting; often used to encourage dedication to art. The Latin phrase 'ars longa, vita brevis' is a well-known equivalent.
「芸術は長く人生は短し」という言葉を胸に、彼は絵を描き続けた。
With the saying 'art is long, life is short' in his heart, he continued to paint.
A Japanese rendering of the Latin proverb 'ars longa, vita brevis', itself a translation of a Greek aphorism by Hippocrates. The classical Japanese adjective 短し (みじかし) gives it a literary, archaic flavor.