79. Friendship

What is as difficult to secure as friendship?
And what greater security is there against foes?

With wise men, friendship waxes like the crescent moon;
with fools, it wanes as surely as the full moon must.

The bonds that good men share are like good bound books,
revealing new enchantments at each new encounter.

What matters in making friends is not merrymaking, 
but a stern rebuking when friends go astray. 

It is not constant meeting and companionship, 
but shared sensibilities that confer the alliance of friendship.

A smiling face is no sure sign of friendship.
Friendship is found deep within a smiling heart.

To divert a man from wrong, direct him toward right
and share his sorrow in misfortune is comradeship.

As swiftly as the hand moves to seize a slipping garment,
friendship acts to assuage a friend's distress.

Where does Friendship hold her court? It is where friends
find constant support in every possible circumstance. 

To boast, "He means so much to me, and I to him,"
merely belittles a friendship.