This proverb advises that your friendship should not be superficial like the ‘herana’ reeds that sway with the wind but never hurt each other even when they rub against each other. The metaphor of the reeds suggests that friends should be able to be honest and tell each other the truth, even if it is painful, rather than maintaining a friendship based on unspoken words and pretenses. In English, an equivalent might be “Real friends are not afraid to tell each other the truth.”