Original artwork, not a still
True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island...to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Friendship is described through two kinds of arithmetic: it increases what is good and reduces what is painful. The lonely island image stresses the cost of going without it. Finding a genuine friend is fortunate, while sustaining that bond is treated as an additional gift.
Context reviewed
