1 Thus can my love excuse the slow offence,
My love can forgive the slow offense My love can excuse how slow my horse is my love forgives the slow horse 'Excuse' = pardon, make acceptable; love itself provides justification for the horse's—and the speaker's—reluctance.
2 Of my dull bearer, when from thee I speed,
Of my dull horse, when I'm hurrying from you Of my sluggish horse when I'm rushing away from you my dull horse when i'm rushing away 'Dull bearer' = the horse; 'speed' here means hasten/depart (not move quickly)—the irony is the verb.
3 From where thou art, why should I haste me thence?
From where you are, why should I rush away Since you're there, why would I want to go fast from u why rush away Rhetorical question: the answer is obvious. Remaining with the beloved requires no haste; departure is inherently unwelcome.
4 Till I return of posting is no need.
Until I return there's no need to hurry Until I come back there's no reason to speed no rush till i come back 'Posting' = rapid travel (changing horses at post stations); the journey away doesn't warrant such urgency.
5 O what excuse will my poor beast then find,
What excuse can my poor horse find then What excuse will my poor horse have then what can my horse even say Shifts to the return journey; now the horse faces the opposite problem—insufficient speed for love's urgency.
6 When swift extremity can seem but slow?
When extreme speed can seem to move slow When even going as fast as possible still feels slow when fast still feels slow 'Swift extremity' = the ultimate in speed; love's desire transcends even this, making all speed inadequate.
7 Then should I spur though mounted on the wind,
Then I should spur the horse even if riding the wind Then I'd need to spur it even if I were riding on wind spur it even riding wind 'Wind' = the fastest possible natural element; even this would require spurring—be insufficient.
8 In winged speed no motion shall I know,
With winged speed I'd feel no movement at all With flying speed I still wouldn't feel like I'm moving flying speed & still no motion Paradox: at extreme speed, the journey becomes non-existent; motion transcends sensation of movement.
Volta The volta shifts from hypothetical speed ('should I spur though mounted on the wind') to the realization that desire itself, purified by love, becomes the ultimate transport.
9 Then can no horse with my desire keep pace,
No horse could possibly match the speed of my longing No horse can go as fast as I want to go no horse keeps pace with me
10 Therefore desire (of perfect’st love being made)
Therefore desire, made of the most perfect love So desire, born from the greatest love desire born from perfect love 'Perfect'st love' suggests love in its most concentrated, undiluted form; desire is love's ultimate expression.
Wordplay: “desire (of perfect'st love being made)”
Desire is not base appetite but love's purest distillation—an idealized emotion that transcends physical nature.
11 Shall neigh no dull flesh in his fiery race,
Shall stop no dull flesh in its fiery rush Won't be held back by any sluggish body in its burning race won't let dull flesh slow it down 'Neigh' = call upon; 'dull flesh' = the material horse; 'fiery race' = the passionate journey. Desire transcends physical mounts.
12 But love, for love, thus shall excuse my jade:
But love, for love, so will excuse my horse But love, out of love for me, will forgive my horse love excuses my horse for love 'Love for love' = love moving toward love; the horse ('jade') is pardoned because the speaker now needs no mount but love.
13 Since from thee going, he went wilful-slow,
Since when leaving from you it deliberately went slow Since going away from you it intentionally slowed down it went slow leaving u on purpose 'Wilful-slow' = intentionally slow, perhaps even wise; the horse's reluctance on the outward journey was justified.
14 Towards thee I’ll run, and give him leave to go.
Toward you I'll run, and let it walk Toward you I'll run and let the horse take its time i'll run 2 u, horse can walk The couplet's transformation: on the return journey, the speaker becomes his own vehicle, moved by desire and love alone.