--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An Eastern poet, Ali Ben Abu Taleb…" description: "\"An Eastern poet, Ali Ben Abu Taleb, writes with sad truth, He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, And he who has one enemy shall meet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_enemies_an-eastern-poet-ali-ben-abu-taleb-writes_1127653.png" --- # An Eastern poet, Ali Ben Abu Taleb, writes with sad truth… ![“An Eastern poet, Ali Ben Abu Taleb, writes with sad truth, He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, And he who has one enemy shall meet him everywhere” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_enemies_an-eastern-poet-ali-ben-abu-taleb-writes_1127653.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_enemies_an-eastern-poet-ali-ben-abu-taleb-writes_1127653.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_enemies_an-eastern-poet-ali-ben-abu-taleb-writes_1127653.png) > “An Eastern poet, Ali Ben Abu Taleb, writes with sad truth, He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, And he who has one enemy shall meet him everywhere” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Abundant acquaintances do not guarantee true companionship; a single foe can dominate one's experience. **In simple terms:** Many friends, yet no true ally; one enemy feels everywhere. Key Takeaway Value genuine relationships over numbers. Themes friendship trust adversity Mood thoughtful melancholic Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - conflict resolution - community building Key Concepts Social bonds enemy perception loneliness Questions to Reflect On - Who truly supports you? - How does a single conflict affect your life? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on quantity can mask isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Sad truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, while he who has one enemy shall meet him everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/he-who-has-a-thousand-friends-has-not-a-friend-to-spare-while-he-who/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“It sure if terrific to be in the back seat of a car full of all the people in your affinity group, and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/it-sure-if-terrific-to-be-in-the-back-seat-of-a-car-full-of-all-the/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [I have had, and may have still, a thousand friends, as they are called, in life, who are like one's partners in the waltz…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/i-have-had-and-may-have-still-a-thousand-friends-as-they-are-called/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [“He who has a thousand friends, has in fact no friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouloud-benzadi/he-who-has-a-thousand-friends-has-in-fact-no-friends/) [Mouloud Benzadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouloud-benzadi/) > [I don't need a thousand friends near me, not a hundred around me, not even ten near me, but just one real friend who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s/i-don-t-need-a-thousand-friends-near-me-not-a-hundred-around-me-not/) S > [Its not a miricle if you have a thousand friends.a miricle is when you only have one friend who will be there for you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-not-a-miricle-if-you-have-a-thousand-friends-a-miricle-is-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-has-a-thousand-friends-has-not-a-friend-to-spare-and-he-who-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being honest may not get you thousand of friends..but it'll always get you the right ones..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-honest-may-not-get-you-thousand-of-friends-but-it-ll-always-get/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [..Having one a true friend is more valuable than a thousand friends selfish..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/having-one-a-true-friend-is-more-valuable-than-a-thousand-friends/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He who has a thousand friends     has not a friend to spare, And he who has one enemy     shall meet him everywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-w-wiersbe/he-who-has-a-thousand-friends-has-not-a-friend-to-spare-and-he-who/) [Warren W. 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