1 Love is too young to know what conscience is, paradox: love's innocence and guilt
Love is too immature to understand what morality means Love doesn't understand right and wrong—it's too young love's too young for morals
2 Yet who knows not conscience is born of love?
Yet who doesn't know that morality itself comes from love But everyone knows morality itself comes from love but morals come from love
3 Then gentle cheater urge not my amiss,
Then you gentle deceiver, don't urge me toward my fault So sweetheart, stop pushing me to mess up don't push me to screw up
4 Lest guilty of my faults thy sweet self prove.
So your sweet self won't be found guilty of my wrongdoing Or you'll be responsible for my mistakes too or u'll be guilty too
5 For thou betraying me, I do betray
Because you betray me, I betray Because you're cheating on me, I'm being unfaithful too u betray me i betray
6 My nobler part to my gross body’s treason,
My better self to my body's shameful betrayal My higher self to my crude body's treachery my soul to my body's betrayal
7 My soul doth tell my body that he may,
My soul gives my body permission My soul is telling my body it can my soul lets my body
8 Triumph in love, flesh stays no farther reason,
Triumph in desire, flesh needs no further justification Win with love, my body isn't asking for reasons triumph body don't need excuses
Volta The volta shifts from philosophical abstraction (what conscience is) to carnal reality: the body rises and triumphs, betraying the soul.
9 But rising at thy name doth point out thee,
But aroused by your name, points to you But at just your name it stands up and points at you rises at ur name points Wordplay: “rising at thy name”
Physical arousal; the body's automatic response to her.
10 As his triumphant prize, proud of this pride,
As its triumphant conquest, proud of this passion As its victory prize, proud of its own arousal ur his prize proud of itself
11 He is contented thy poor drudge to be,
It is satisfied to be your humble servant It's happy just to be your slave happy 2 b ur servant
12 To stand in thy affairs, fall by thy side.
To stand ready in your service, collapse beside you To stand when you need it, fall when you want it stand for u fall 4 u
13 No want of conscience hold it that I call,
Don't think it's immoral that I call Don't say it's wrong when I call don't blame me for calling
14 Her love, for whose dear love I rise and fall.
She is the beloved one I devote myself to, whether I flourish or fail Her love—the one I'll do anything for her love i rise & fall 4