“The eye reaches far; the hand, not so far”

“The eye sees far but the hand reaches short”

مأثور عربي — Arabic oral tradition

A classic Arabic proverb describing the gap between desire and ability: the eye perceives and longs for what the short hand cannot reach. It is said of one who aspires to what lies beyond his means, and belongs to the inherited proverbial tradition.

مثَلٌ عربيٌّ مشهور في الفرق بين الرغبة والقدرة: فالعين تُبصر وتشتهي ما لا تبلغه اليد القصيرة. يُضرب لمن يطمح إلى ما يعجز عنه، وهو من الأمثال الموروثة.