«يُمُوتِ الزَّمَّارْ وِصْبَاعُهْ يِلْعَبْ»

The proverb says that whatever a person has practiced for a lifetime becomes part of the body itself. A player of the mizmar, a reed wind instrument, keeps his fingers moving through familiar patterns on their own even at the hour of death, showing that deep habits outlast strength, will, and even life.

More broadly, it observes that traits acquired early and repeated over years rarely disappear in old age. People carry their ingrained ways to the end, so change late in life should not be expected, whether the habit is a cherished craft or a troublesome vice.

Suited to remarks about someone whose long-practiced habit, skill, or inclination resurfaces even when circumstances, age, or decline should have ended it. The tone can be wry or tender, and it fits both admirable crafts and stubborn vices, so it is not inherently an insult.