第一章：列出第一节诗。按照人的两个部分，即较低部分与较高部分，描述属灵人所经过的两种不同黑夜。阐释随后这节诗。
Chapter I: Sets down the first stanza. Describes two different nights through which spiritual persons pass, according to the two parts of man, the lower and the higher. Expounds the stanza which follows.
第一节诗
Stanza The First
在一个黑夜，因爱的渴望而燃起——哦，幸福机缘！——
On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings – oh, happy chance! –
我悄然出走，我的家如今已安息。
I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest.
在这第一节诗中，灵魂歌唱自己所经历的幸福命运与机缘：它从外在的一切事物，以及由于理性的失序而存在于人感性〔译作「感性」的词有时是 sensual，有时如这里是 sensitivo。无论哪一种，意思都只是「属于感官的」。〕部分中的欲望〔直译为「食欲」；但此词一律译作「欲望」，因为西班牙文语境常不容在英文中使用这个更强烈的词。〕和不完全中出走。为理解这一点，必须知道，灵魂要达到成全状态，通常首先必须经过两种主要的黑夜，属灵人称之为灵魂的炼净或净化；在这里我们称它们为黑夜，因为在二者中，灵魂仿佛都在夜间、在黑暗中行进。
In this first stanzas the soul sings of the happy fortune and chance which it experienced in going forth from all things that are without, and from the desires [Lit., appetites,’ but this word is uniformly translated desires,’ as the Spanish context frequently will not admit the use of the stronger word in English.] and imperfections that are in the sensual [The word translated ‘sensual’ is sometimes sensual, and sometimes, as here, sensitivo. The meaning in either case is simply of sense.’] part of man because of the disordered state of his reason. For the understanding of this it must be known that, for a soul to attain to the state of perfection, it has ordinarily first to pass through two principal kinds of night, which spiritual persons call purgations or purifications of the soul; and here we call them nights, for in both of them the soul journeys, as it were, by night, in darkness.
2. 第一黑夜或炼净，是灵魂感性部分的炼净，本诗节论及它，并将在本书第一部分论及。第二黑夜则是属灵部分的炼净；接下来的第二诗节论及它；关于它，我们也将同样论述：就灵魂的主动性而言，在第二和第三部分论述，Alc. 如此。其他权威文本作：「关于它，我们也将同样论述：就〔灵魂的〕主动性而言，在第二部分论述〔最后三字不见于任何权威文本的西班牙文〕；就其被动性而言，在第三和第四部分论述。」E.p. 遵循这一划分。然而，Alc. 似乎更符合圣人的意图；因为他并没有把自己的每一「卷」再分为「部分」，因此他以「部分」所指的，看来就是我们所称的「卷」。如今，第一卷事实上论述感官的主动炼净，第二、三卷论述灵的主动炼净。关于「第四卷」，见上文《总导言》IV。就其被动性而言，在第四部分论述。
2. The first night or purgation is of the sensual part of the soul, which is treated in the present stanza, and will be treated in the first part of this book. And the second is of the spiritual part; of this speaks the second stanza, which follows; and of this we shall treat likewise, in the second and the third part, So Alc. The other authorities read: and of this we shall treat likewise, in the second part with respect to the activity [of the soul] [these last three words are not contained in the Spanish of any authority], and in the third and the fourth part with respect to its passivity.’ E.p. follows this division. Alc., however, seems to correspond more closely with the Saint’s intentions; for he did not divide each of his books’ into parts’ and appears therefore to indicate by part’ what we know as book.’ Now Book I is in fact devoted to the active purgation of sense, as are Books II and III to the active purgation of the spirit. For the fourth book,’ see General Introduction, IV above. with respect to the activity of the soul; and in the fourth part, with respect to its passitivity.
3. 这第一黑夜属于初学者，发生在神开始把他们带入默观状态之时；在这黑夜中，灵也有其一份，正如我们将在适当时候说明的。第二黑夜或净化，则属于已经进阶者，发生在神愿意把他们带到与神联合的状态之时。后一黑夜是更幽暗、更黑暗、更可怕的炼净，正如我们以后将说明的。
3. And this first night pertains to beginners, occurring at the time when God begins to bring them into the state of contemplation; in this night the spirit likewise has a part, as we shall say in due course. And the second night, or purification, pertains to those who are already proficient, occurring at the time when God desires to bring them to the state of union with God. And this latter night is a more obscure and dark and terrible purgation, as we shall say afterwards.
4. 简言之，灵魂借这节诗的意思是：它（受神引导）只因爱他，为他之爱所点燃，在一个黑夜中出走；这黑夜就是对其一切感性欲望的剥夺与炼净，涉及世界上一切外在事物、那些令其肉体愉悦的事物，也同样涉及其意志的欲望。这一切都发生在感官的炼净中；因此灵魂说，它在自己的家仍然安息时出走；〔译作「安息」的词是过去分词；更直译为「静止」。〕这家就是它的感性部分，其中的欲望安息并沉睡，正如它在这些欲望中安息并沉睡。〔直译：「而它在它们之中。」这个「它」指灵魂；前一个「它」指家。〕因为，除非这些欲望被克制并置于沉睡，否则无法从欲望隐秘处的痛苦与患难中出走。灵魂说，这对它乃是幸福机缘——即它悄然出走：也就是说，其肉体的任何欲望或任何其他事物都不能阻碍它。同样，这也是因为它在夜间出走——这表示神在它里面造成对所有这些事物的剥夺，而这种剥夺对它而言就是黑夜。
4. Briefly, then, the soul means by this stanza that it went forth (being led by God) for love of Him alone, enkindled in love of Him, upon a dark night, which is the privation and purgation of all its sensual desires, with respect to all outward things of the world and to those which were delectable to its flesh, and likewise with respect to the desires of its will. This all comes to pass in this purgation of sense; for which cause the soul says that it went forth while its house was still at rest; [The word translated at rest’ is a past participle: more literally, stilled.‘] which house is its sensual part, the desires being at rest and asleep in it, as it is to them. [Lit., and it in them.’ This it’ means the soul; the preceding it,’ the house.] For there is no going forth from the pains and afflictions of the secret places of the desires until these be mortified and put to sleep. And this, the soul says, was a happy chance for it – namely, its going forth without being observed: that is, without any desire of its flesh or any other thing being able to hinder it. And likewise, because it went out by night – which signifies the privation of all these things wrought in it by God, which privation was night for it.
5. 神引导它进入这黑夜，乃是幸福机缘；它从中获得如此多的益处。因为灵魂靠自己不能成功进入其中；没有人能靠自己成功倒空自己的一切欲望，以便来到神那里。
5. And it was a happy chance that God should lead it into this night, from which there came to it so much good; for of itself the soul would not have succeeded in entering therein, because no man of himself can succeed in voiding himself of all his desires in order to come to God.
6. 这就是这节诗的简要阐释；现在我们必须逐行经过它，一行接一行列出，并阐释与我们目的相关的内容。其他诗节也采用同样方法，正如我在序言即「要旨」。中所说——即每一节诗都将列出并阐释，随后阐释每一行。
6. This is, in brief, the exposition of the stanza; and we shall now have to go through it, line by line, setting down one line after another, and expounding that which pertains to our purpose. And the same method is followed in the other stanzas, as I said in the Prologue I.e., in the Argument.’ – namely, that each stanza will be set down and expounded, and afterwards each line.