Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Arabic term or phrase:
العين بصيرة واليد قصيرة
English translation:
The eyes desire what the hands can't reach
Arabic term
Accurate and dependable
Native in: Arabic 
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English, English to French
العين بصيرة واليد قصيرة
Abedullah
Proposed translations
United Arab Emirates
It's not just a job...
Native in: Arabic (Variant: Egyptian)
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English
The eyes desire what the hands can't reach
United States
Service, quality, discretion, teamwork
Native in: English
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English, Kurdish to English, and 3 more.
Don't exceed your abilities (among other meanings, depending on context)
That Arabic expression has various equivalent renditions in the English. Most of them are cautionary admonitions or advisements, such as:
1. Don't exceed your abilities.
2. Don't become overly ambitious.
3. You may have far-reaching ambitions or aspirations, but you cannot achieve them with your present abilities or circumstances.
4. Look before you leap (into a project or undertaking).
5. What you see (and covet) is not what you can get.
A similar epithet is
"shaaf 3yoonak khath ghairak" = شاف عيونك حظ غيرك
Australia
Craftsmanship, ideas, expert knowledge
Native in: Arabic (Variants: Egyptian, Palestinian, Lebanese, Sudanese, Standard-Arabian (MSA), Syrian) , English (Variants: British, Australian, US)
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English
beggars can't be choosers
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Fayez Roumieh
: معك حقك يا سام، لقد استعجلتُ في الحكم
1 hr
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Actually, it is closer in English to ما باليد حيلة in that it is said fatalistically and rather bitterly. There is no تشرط on behalf of the person who utters the saying, only حسرة
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Jordan
Dead On Dealines....
Native in: English , Arabic
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English, Arabic
'The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence'.
Meaning:
This idiom means that what other people have or do looks preferable to our life. You always want what's on the other side of the fenece, though you can't get it.
United Kingdom
Connecting Cultures
Native in: Arabic 
Works in: English to Arabic, French to Arabic, Arabic to English, and 1 more.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
Origin:
From the Bible, Matthew 26:41. 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'
| agree |
Fayez Roumieh
1 hr
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| agree |
Fuad Yahya
: http://www.answers.com/topic/the-spirit-is-willing-but-the-f...
4 hrs
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| agree |
Zeinab Asfour
8 hrs
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| agree |
Noha Kamal, PhD.
8 hrs
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| agree |
Alaa AHMED
: because: it couldn't be helped
10 hrs
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| agree |
Dr. Hamzeh Thaljeh
15 hrs
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Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English, Arabic to Russian, and 1 more.
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