灰飛煙滅

First attested in the 7th century, but in common usage only as of 1082, originally in Sutra of Complete Enlightenment:

譬如鑽火：兩木相因，火出木盡，灰飛煙滅。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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譬如钻火：两木相因，火出木尽，灰飞烟灭。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 《圓覺經》, traditionally attributed to be translated into Chinese by Buddhatrāta, the original Sanskrit text not yet discovered

Pìrú zuàn huǒ: liǎng mù xiàngyīn, huǒ chū mù jìn, huī fēi yān miè. [Pinyin]

Take drilling wood to make fire for example: when two pieces of wood rub each other, fire emerges, but the wood is consumed, transforming to scattered ashes and dispersed smoke.

Popularized by Su Shi's famous ci Reminiscing the Past at Red Cliff:

雄姿英發，羽扇綸巾，談笑處、檣艣灰飛煙滅。 [Ci, trad.]

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雄姿英发，羽扇纶巾，谈笑处、樯橹灰飞烟灭。 [Ci, simp.]

From: 1082, 蘇軾,《念奴嬌·赤壁懷古》, English translation based on the work by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang (née Taylor)

Xióngzī yīngfā, yǔshàn guānjīn, tánxiào chù, qiánglǔ huīfēiyānmiè. [Pinyin]

Dashing and debonair,
Silk-capped with feather fan,
He laughed and chatted
While the dread enemy fleet was burnt to ashes in clouds of smoke.

Note that there are many versions, of which the above was reckoned to be most original.

灰飛煙滅

1. to vanish completely