第十四章：其中阐释诗节第二行。
Chapter XIV: Wherein is expounded the second line of the stanza.
因爱而燃起渴慕。
Kindled in love with yearnings.
现在我们已经阐释了这诗节的第一行，它论及感官之夜，说明这感官之夜是什么，以及为何称为夜；我们也同样描述了灵魂为主动进入其中所应遵循的秩序和方式。接下来按次序应当论述的是它的特性和效果，这些特性和效果是奇妙的，并在前述诗节接下来的几行中得到描述；为阐释这些诗行，我将简要触及这些内容，正如我在序言中所应许的；这证实了我们上文（第一卷第二章第 6 节）的观点，即这位圣人把「论旨」视为序言的一部分。随后我将立刻进入第二卷，论述这夜的另一部分，即属灵的部分。
Now that we have expounded the first line of this stanza, which treats of the night of sense, explaining what this night of sense is, and why it is called night; and now that we have likewise described the order and manner which are to be followed for a soul to enter therein actively, the next thing to be treated in due sequence is its properties and effects, which are wonderful, and are described in the next lines of the stanza aforementioned, upon which I will briefly touch for the sake of expounding the said lines, as I promised in the Prologue; This confirms our point (Bk. I, chap. ii, 6, above) that the Saint considers the Argument as part of the Prologue. and I will then pass on at once to the second book, treating of the other part of this night, which is the spiritual.
2. 因此，灵魂说，它「因爱而燃起渴慕」，经过这感官的黑夜，并从其中出来，达到与爱人的联合。因为，为了胜过一切欲望，并否定自己在一切事物中所拥有的快乐——它的爱与情爱惯常为这些快乐点燃意志，使意志享受它们——它就需要借另一种更大、更好的爱，即其配偶的爱，经历另一种更大的燃烧；目的是使它的快乐安置在他身上，并从他取得力量，好有勇气和恒心轻易地否定自己的一切其他事物。并且，为胜过感官欲望的力量，它不仅需要爱自己的配偶，也需要被爱点燃并怀有渴慕。因为确实会发生、也确是如此：感性本性因这样渴望的渴慕而被推动并吸引向感性事物；所以，若属灵部分没有以其他更大、指向属灵事物的渴慕被点燃，它就不能摆脱本性的轭直译：「胜过自然的轭」。〕，也不能进入这感官之夜；它也不会有勇气在对一切事物而言的黑暗中停留，剥夺自己对这一切事物的欲望。
2. The soul, then, says that, kindled in love with yearnings,’ it passed through this dark night of sense and came out thence to the union of the Beloved. For, in order to conquer all the desires and to deny itself the pleasures which it has in everything, and for which its love and affection are wont to enkindle the will that it may enjoy them, it would need to experience another and a greater enkindling by an other and a better love, which is that of its Spouse; to the end that, having its pleasure set upon Him and deriving from Him its strength, it should have courage and constancy to deny itself all other things with ease. And, in order to conquer the strength of the desires of sense, it would need, not only to have love for its Spouse, but also to be enkindled by love and to have yearnings. For it comes to pass, and so it is, that with such yearnings of desire the sensual nature is moved and attracted toward sensual things, so that, if the spiritual part be not enkindled with other and greater yearnings for that which is spiritual, it will be unable to throw off the yoke of nature Lit., to conquer the natural yoke.’] or to enter this night of sense, neither will it have courage to remain in darkness as to all things, depriving itself of desire for them all.
3. 至于灵魂在这条通往联合之路初期所经历的这些爱之渴慕的性质和种种类型；以及它们为在感官克制之夜离开自己的房屋——即自我意志——所采用的勤勉方法和谋略；还有这些对配偶的渴慕如何使这夜的一切试炼和危险在它们看来变得容易，甚至甘甜可悦，这里不是描述这些的地方，这样的描述也不可能；因为认识并默想这些事，胜过写出它们。因此，我们将继续在下一章阐释其余诗行。
3. And the nature and all the varieties of these yearnings of love which souls experience in the early stages of this road to union; and the diligent means and contrivances which they employ in order to leave their house, which is self-will, during the night of the mortification of their senses; and how easy, and even sweet and delectable, these yearnings for the Spouse make all the trials and perils of this night to appear to them, this is not the place to describe, neither is such description possible; for it is better to know and meditate upon these things than to write of them. And so we shall pass on to expound the remaining lines in the next chapter.