Mad love—I for you, and you for another.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Affection runs in different directions: one person loves someone whose attention is elsewhere. The short exchange portrays a painful mismatch rather than a shared relationship or an obligation to return affection.

What the words are saying

The speaker’s for you is met by the other person’s for another. That unequal direction is the centre of the image. Strong feeling does not itself establish reciprocity, and wishing harder cannot make another person’s preference a duty. Mad describes the distressing pattern in this historical wording; it is not a clinical diagnosis. Recognising the mismatch can help someone choose a respectful distance instead of interpreting persistence as proof of love.

Everyday example

After learning that a friend wants a different relationship, someone accepts the answer and stops treating repeated invitations as a way to change it.

When to use it

Use it to distinguish strong affection from mutual interest.

Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.