السبع سبع و لو في قفص El sab' sab' walaw fi qafas Translation: A lion is a lion even if in a cage Meaning: Someone with moral substance will remain so under duress. This saying is not very much in use, but listeners will get the drift if you use it. It is one of a genre of sayings that assert the innate worth of someone by repetition of the same epithet twice. “el-gada' gada'” is another one that asserts that a “genuine person (is always) a genuine person.” Source: Egyptian Proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center for Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha, Translated by: Nabil Shawkat http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/138711.aspx