第一章
Chapter I
在黑暗中而安全，借隐秘的梯子，乔装着——哦，幸福的机缘！——
In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised – oh, happy chance! –
在黑暗中并在隐藏里，我的房屋如今已安息。
In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest.
在这第二诗节中，灵魂歌唱它在剥去灵的一切属灵不完美，以及对拥有属灵事物的欲望时所经历的幸福机缘。由于使属灵部分的这房屋安息，并能进入这内在黑暗有更大的困难，这对灵魂来说是大得多的幸福；这内在黑暗就是从一切事物中属灵地超脱，无论是感性的还是属灵的，并且单单倚靠纯粹的信心，借此上升到神。灵魂在这里称这为「梯子」，又称其为「隐秘的」，因为它的一切横档和部分〔直译：「它所有的一切台阶和条目」。〕对于一切感官和理智都是隐秘而隐藏的。因此，灵魂对于感官和理智的一切光而言，已经留在黑暗中，超越自然和理性的一切界限而出去，为要借这信心的神之梯上升；这梯达到〔直译：「攀登」：动词（escala）与名词「梯子」（escala）相同。〕并穿透直到神的高处〔直译：「深处」。〕。灵魂说自己是「乔装着」行走，因为它借信心上升时，所穿的衣服和服饰以及它的自然状况，都被改变为神的样式。正因为这乔装，它没有被认出，也没有被阻碍，无论是被时间、理性，还是被魔鬼；因为这些事物没有一样能伤害在信心中行走的人。不仅如此，灵魂行走时如此被遮蔽、被隐藏，并且如此远离魔鬼的一切欺骗，以致它实在是（正如这里也说的）「在黑暗中并在隐藏里」行走——也就是说，对魔鬼隐藏；对魔鬼而言，信心之光比黑暗更甚。
In this second stanza the soul sings of the happy chance which it experienced in stripping the spirit of all spiritual imperfections and desires for the possession of spiritual things. This was a much greater happiness to, by reason of the greater difficulty that there is in putting to rest this house of the spiritual part, and of being able to enter this interior darkness, which is spiritual detachment from all things, whether sensual or spiritual, and leaning on pure faith alone and an ascent thereby to God. The soul here calls this a ladder,’ and ‘secret,’ because all the rungs and parts of it [Lit., all the steps and articles that it has.‘] are secret and hidden from all sense and understanding. And thus the soul has remained in darkness as to all light of sense and understanding, going forth beyond all limits of nature and reason in order to ascend by this Divine ladder of faith, which attains [Lit., climbs’: the verb (escala) is identical with the noun ladder’ (escala).] and penetrates even to the heights [Lit., to the depths.‘] of God. The soul says that it was travelling disguised,’ because the garments and vesture which it wears and its natural condition are changed into the Divine, as it ascends by faith. And it was because of this disguise that it was not recognized or impeded, either by time or by reason or by the devil; for none of these things can harm one that journeys in faith. And not only so, but the soul travels in such wise concealed and hidden and is so far from all the deceits of the devil that in truth it journeys (as it also says here) in darkness and in concealment’ – that is to say, hidden from the devil, to whom the light of faith is more than darkness.
2. 因此，我们可以说，经过这夜的灵魂是在遮蔽中、在躲避魔鬼的隐藏中行走，正如以后将更清楚看见的。因此灵魂说，它「在黑暗中而安全」地出去了；因为一个人若有这样的幸福，能经过信心的黑暗而行，以信心为自己的向导，像盲人一样，〔直译较短，即：「以信心作盲人的向导」。〕并把一切自然想象和属灵推理留在身后，他就如我们所说，行走得非常安全。所以灵魂还说，它经过这属灵之夜出去时，「它的房屋如今已安息」——也就是说，它的属灵和理性部分已安息。因此，当灵魂达到出于神的联合时，它的自然能力便安息，它属灵部分中感官的冲动和渴慕也同样安息。为此，灵魂在这里没有像在第一感官之夜中那样，说它是带着渴慕出去的。因为，为了在感官之夜中行走，并剥去属于感官的东西，它需要感官之爱的渴慕，好使自己完全出去；但为了使其灵的房屋安息，它所需要的无非是在纯粹信心中否定〔直译：「否定」。〕这是 Alc. 的读法。A, B, C, D, e.p. 作「肯定」。尽管这两个词彼此相反，它们表达的底层概念却相同。〔把灵的一切能力和欲望肯定或建立在纯粹信心之上，使它们唯独受纯粹信心统治，这等同于否定或否认那些能力和欲望，因为它们不受纯粹信心统治。〕灵的一切能力、快乐和欲望。达到这一点，灵魂便在单纯、纯净、爱和相似的联合中，与爱人联合。
2. And thus the soul that journeys through this night, we may say, journeys in concealment and in hiding from the devil, as will be more clearly seen hereafter. Wherefore the soul says that it went forth in darkness and secure’; for one that has such happiness as to be able to journey through the darkness of faith, taking faith for his guide, like to one that is blind, [The literal translation is shorter, viz. taking faith for a blind man’s guide.‘] and leaving behind all natural imaginings and spiritual reasonings, journeys very securely, as we have said. And so the soul says furthermore that it went forth through this spiritual night, its house being now at rest’ – that is to say, its spiritual and rational parts. When, therefore, the soul attains to union which is of God, its natural faculties are at rest, as are likewise its impulses and yearnings of the senses, in its spiritual part. For this cause the soul says not here that it went forth with yearnings, as in the first night of sense. For, in order to journey in the night of sense, and to strip itself of that which is of sense, it needed yearnings of sense-love so that it might go forth perfectly; but, in order to put to rest the house of its spirit, it needs no more than denial [Lit., negation.‘] This is the reading of Alc. Affirmation’ is found in A, B, C, D, e.p. Though the two words are antithetical, they express the same underlying concept. [The affirmation, or establishment, of all the powers and desires of the spirit upon pure faith, so that they may be ruled by pure faith alone, is equivalent to the denial, or negation, of those powers and desires in so far as they are not ruled by pure faith.] of all faculties and pleasures and desires of the spirit in pure faith. This attained, the soul is united with the Beloved in a union of simplicity and purity and love and similitude.
3. 必须记得，第一诗节论感性部分时，说灵魂「在黑夜中」出去；而这里论属灵部分时，说它「在黑暗中」出去。因为属灵部分的黑暗远为更大，正如黑暗比夜晚更为幽暗。因为无论夜多么黑，总还有某些东西可以看见；但在真正的黑暗中，什么都看不见。因此，在感官之夜中仍有某种光存留，因为理智和理性仍在，并未被弄瞎。但这属灵之夜，即信心，在理智和感官两方面都剥夺灵魂的一切。为此，灵魂在这夜中说自己「在黑暗中而安全」地行走；它在另一夜中并未这样说。因为灵魂越少凭自己的能力工作，就越安全地行走，因为它越是在信心中行走。这将在本第二卷的过程中详加阐释；虔诚读者有必要专心读下去，因为其中将论及对真正属灵的人〔直译：「对真正的灵」。〕极其重要的事。虽然这些事有些晦涩，但其中一些将为另一些铺路，所以我相信它们最终都会相当清楚地被理解。
3. And it must be remembered that the first stanza, speaking of the sensual part, says that the soul went forth upon a dark night,’ and here, speaking of the spiritual part, it says that it went forth in darkness.’ For the darkness of the spiritual part is by far the greater, even as darkness is a greater obscurity than that of night. For, however dark a night may be, something can always be seen, but in true darkness nothing can be seen; and thus in the night of sense there still remains some light, for the understanding and reason remain, and are not blinded. But this spiritual night, which is faith, deprives the soul of everything, both as to understanding and as to sense. And for this cause the soul in this night says that it was journeying in darkness and secure,’ which it said not in the other. For, the less the soul works with its own ability, the more securely it journeys, because it journeys more in faith. And this will be expounded at length in the course of this second book, wherein it will be necessary for the devout reader to proceed attentively, because there will be said herein things of great importance to the person that is truly spiritual. [Lit., to true spirit.’] And, although they are somewhat obscure, some of them will pave the way to others, so that I believe they will all be quite clearly understood.