This proverb highlights the significance of friendship in our lives, comparing it to silk. Silk is used both to wrap the deceased and to clothe the living, signifying the enduring and universal nature of friendship, which accompanies us through both good and bad times. Even when the silk (or friendship) is thin and fragile, it requires special attention, represented by the finger following the thread. A similar expression in English would be: ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’