This proverb conveys the dual goal in life: on one hand, the importance of marrying someone who is a friend (implying a relationship based on mutual understanding and support); on the other hand, the desire to have children to ensure succession. Indeed, it suggests that a successful marriage is founded on friendship and that offspring guarantee the continuity of the family lineage. An equivalent English proverb might be « Birds of a feather flock together, and children mirror their upbringing ».