More gleanings from James Warwick Price, who dedicated his book, Among Friends, to "My Books, Friends tried and proved":

"There is no life without friendship." (Cicero)

"Whilst in my senses I shall prefer nothing to a pleasant friend." (Horace)

"In the hour of distress and misery the eye of every mortal turns to friendship, in the hour of gladness and conviviality, what is our want?—it is friendship." (Walter Savage Landor)

"Friendship is a word the very sight of which in print makes the heart warm." (Augustine Birrell)

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Early one semester I asked an English as a Second Language class, "tell me about a word in your language that is difficult to translate into English." Happily, one of the Korean students wrote on friendship:

"Korean ‘er-i’ is simply translated as English ‘friendship.’ But it means something more. For example, if my friend receives a blow and he is my sworn, bosom friend, I can’t repress my anger, because my friend’s pain is equal to my pain. ‘Er-i’ is better translated as ‘to share joys or sorrows with a person.’" (Daniel Lee)

Later I asked them all for and essay on the idea of Friendship in their native culture. Here are some of their responses:

Alma Gomez: Sayings about friendship en Espanol de Columbia:

"Los Buenos amigos son par Siempre."

(The best friends are forever.)

"La Amistad es como un tesoro: dificil de encontrar."

(Friendship is like a treasure: hard to find.)

"Los buenos amigos sehieren con la verdad,

pero se pierdan con la mentira."

(The best friends tell the truth, but you lose them when you lie.)

Martha Pena: What is a Friend?

A person or persons you know for a long time and share with them many things about your personal life.

A person you know, like, and trust. One who helps in good times or in bad moments. One who understands without explanations, who listens, and who shares ideas about what he or she thinks. One who is always learning something. One who never lies, one who supports, one who tolerates your successes.

Euridice Viristo: Portuguese sayings on friends and friendship

"A friend like you is the same as a snake."

"It's better to walk alone than to walk with a stone in your shoe."

"Your true friends are the ones who'd give everything to see you smile."

"One word to say friendship-Trust."

Mario Saenz: "Friend" in Spanish

The word "Friend" in Spanish is "amigo"(M) or "amiga"(F), and it does mean pretty much the same in Spanish.

Amigo (a): A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

The only way it is used differently is in the words "boyfriend" or "girlfriend": Spanish "novio" or "novia."

Artie Lee: "Friend" translated into Korean.

We say "chin-gu" and "dong-mu."

At this time in South Korea, people usually use the word "chin-gu," rather than "dong-mu." The reason is that "dong-mu" is being used for members of the Communist Party in North Korea. However, "dong-mu" is the native Korean word for "real close friend." "Chin-gu" is spelled with Chinese characters. But if you ask a South Korean for the meaning of "friend," the answer will be "chin-gu."

Luan Kadiasi: Friendship in Albanian

"Better one friend than one farm."

A good friend is one who helps you if you need help or warns you if you're in a dangerous position.

If somebody is coming to your house from a long way, and you don't know him (maybe he is an enemy), you say, "Come on in, friend, bread, salt, and heart."

Kennedy Seijas: Friend = Amigo (in Venezuela)

There are mathematical expressions:

The friend of my friend is my friend: + + = +

The friend of my enemy is my enemy: + - = -

The enemy of my enemy is my friend: - - = +

The enemy of my friend is my enemy: - + = -

Amigo: When someone is always with you, in

bad and good situations.

Amistad: Friendship, such as between co-workers and classmates.

The best friend is one who doesn't expect anything for a swap.

Ruslin de Leon: On Friendship

I always like to read books that talk about friendship, or books of poetry, because I like to know about these things.

However, for me to have a friend, a really good friend—this is difficult, because your friend is the person who is always there, no matter what happens. In good times or bad times, you're going to have this hand to help and give you support.

-Friendship is the hand that supports you at

any time.

-Your friend never forgets you.

-Your friend gives you happiness and shares with you in your good moments, and supports you in bad ones.

-Your friend is the one that doesn't just see the problems, but looks for the solutions.

I’ll close this essay with an e-mail on Friendship (courtesy of Pat Hayden)

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." (Winnie the Pooh)

"True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost." (Charles Caleb Colton)

"A real friend is one who walks in

when the rest of the world walks out."

"Friendship is one mind in two bodies." (Mencius)

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

"If you should die before me, ask if you could bring a friend."

(Stone Temple Pilots)

"I'll lean on you and you lean on me and we'll be okay."

(Dave Matthew's Band)

"If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them... I'd be at the bottom to catch them."

"Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say."

"We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere." (Tim McGraw)

"My father always used to say that when you die, if you've got five real friends, then you've had a great life." (Lee Iacocca)

"Hold a true friend with both your hands." (Nigerian Proverb)

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words." (unknown)

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