Culturally Responsive Conversations

Marina Minhwa Lee

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 Praise for Culturally Responsive Conversations

“Marina and Seth’s wisdom and stories helped me better understand what I’ve seen and
heard in classrooms around the world, and reflect on how I can be better with kids of every
background.”
—Mike Goldstein, Founder, Match Education, Boston

“Scholars have dissected cultural responsiveness, alerting educators of its importance, but
educators are still left with the question of ‘how do we actually do this in schools?’ The
authors extend current knowledge into practical, digestible nuggets of wisdom that concre-
tize and demystify cultural responsiveness for educators.”
—Josephine M. Kim, Senior Lecturer on Education at Harvard University

“In this engaging and highly readable primer on cross-­cultural communications for educa-
tors Marina Lee and Seth Leighton offer an original synthesis of knowledge based on schol-
arship and on practice with practical exercises that can help the reader become more
self-­aware and competent in navigating cross-­cultural exchanges. Their own lived experi-
ence, as a multicultural family and as global educators, uniquely qualifies them to speak
with authority and authenticity about the potential of true communication that bridges
cultures. This book will empower educators to realize the potential that lies in culturally
diverse classrooms and schools.”
—Fernando M. Reimers, Ford Foundation Professor of the Practice of
International Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Culturally Responsive
Conversations
 Culturally
Responsive
Conversations
Connecting with Your Diverse School
Community

Marina Minhwa Lee

Seth Leighton
Copyright © 2023 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Names: Lee, Marina M. (Marina Minhwa), author. | Leighton, Seth, author.
Title: Culturally responsive conversations : connecting with your diverse
school community / Marina M Lee, Seth Leighton.
Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : Jossey-Bass, [2023] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022059904 (print) | LCCN 2022059905 (ebook) | ISBN
9781119849155 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119849186 (adobe pdf ) | ISBN
9781119849179 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Multicultural education—United States. | Inclusive
education—United States.
Classification: LCC LC1099.3 .L454 2023 (print) | LCC LC1099.3 (ebook) |
DDC 370.1170973—dc23/eng/20230113
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022059904
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022059905

Cover Design: Wiley

Cover Image: © FoxysGraphics/Getty Images
Author Photos: (Lee) Courtesy of Marina Lee, (Leighton) Photo by Justin Knight
For Madeline Eung Raehui
 CONTENTS

Acknowledgments xi
About the Authors xiii
Personal Notes from the Authors xv

PART I SETTING THE STAGE 1

Chapter 1 Immigration and Education in the USA 3

Chapter 2 It Takes More Than a Village 15

Chapter 3 The Interplay Between Language and Culture 23

Chapter 4 Staying Mindful of Nuances 43

Chapter 5 Effective Cross-­Cultural Communications in School Contexts 65

PART II THE FAMILY AND THE CLASSROOM 73

Chapter 6 Perspectives on the Educator’s Role 75

Chapter 7 Cultural Values and Diversity 85

Chapter 8 Working with Multicultural Families 95

ix
x Contents

PART III REMEMBERING THE INDIVIDUAL 109

Chapter 9 Making Space for Individual Self-­Actualization 111

Chapter 10 Addressing Neurodiversity with Cross-­Cultural Families 119

PART IV SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH HIGHER

EDUCATION PLANS 131

Chapter 11 Introduction to Supporting Students with Higher Education Plans 133

Chapter 12 Navigating High-Pressure Constructs 137

Chapter 13 Cultural Perspectives on Testing and Creating a Comprehensive

Best-­Fit College List 141

Appendix 1: Learning Through Extracurricular Activities 155

Appendix 2: Common Greetings 163

Resources Consulted 169

Conclusion 175

Index 177
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T urning an idea into a book was both challenging and rewarding. We especially want to
thank the individuals who helped make this happen. We are incredibly grateful for the
contributions of research and experiences from students, colleagues, and friends to this book;
whether small or large, the friendly spirit and assistance were always significant and meant
much more to us than words can express.

Alexandra Koch-­Liu Elaine Yining Yan Midori Yasamura

Anthony J. Lee Fr. Jaehwa Lee Naeun Ruby Koo
Amardeep Bhatia Grace Haddad Nathaniel Dvorkin
Amelia Stevens Graeme Peele Peter Berzilos
Annie Dong Hanjing Wang Rebecca Grappo
Aparna Prasad Hanson Liu Rebecca Leighton
April J. Remfrey Harry Gallen Ryan Jin
Ava Shaw James Holden Sam Fleischmann
Bernard West Jane Namussis Sanaa Gupta
Caroline Min Jean Louis Sanjna Srinivasan
Chris Zhengda Lu Jeffrey Li Sarah Loring de Garcia
Christina Linden John Youngho Lee Shirley Brito
Chujie Qiu Joshua Andrew Guo Sonya Pareek
Claudia Gonzalez Salinas Julie Moloney Sophia Tanh
David Hawkins Junming Xing Tammy Alt
Derek O’Leary Kara Madden Tejas West
Diana Rangraves Kelly Lu Teo Salgado
Donovan Richards Linus Law
Karen V. Wynn, PhD. Metta Dael

xi
xii Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the guidance of our mentors over the years, including Jerry Murphy,
Fernando Reimers, Monica Higgins, Josephine Kim, John Curtis Perry, Juliana Chen, Sung-­
Yoon Lee, Steven Koltai, Molefi Mataboge, Jed Willard, Michael Goldstein, and countless
other colleagues and friends from UNESCO APEID, the Korean Development Institute,
Tokyo Parawood, the University of Gondar, Praphamontree School, Harvard Graduate
School of Education, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and many, many, many
schools around the world with whom we’ve had the good fortune to work.
We express our gratitude to the amazing community of global educators at Envoys, who
have taught us both how to truly collaborate across geographic and cultural borders. Special
thanks to Felipe Correa, Isabel Eslava, Luis Garcia, Angela Gomez, Daniela Gomez, Annie
Harold, Mason Hults, Daniel Matallana, Annie Peuquet, and Laura Rocha for their con-
stant support, advice, and inspiration.
We thank the team at Cogita Education Initiatives, past and present, who have stood
strong and compassionate through the years. They are indisputably a group of creative souls
who give it their all to educate responsibly. With their intelligence, grace, and humor, they
have given a new definition to teamwork, always inspiring me to do and be better as a per-
son and a member of this power team.

Cindy Xuejiao Lin Jill K. Schaffer Tingjun (Tina) Liu

Diana Xiunan Jin Jessie Zhijie Yang Yingyi (Wenny) Lin
Haoyi (Vivian) Li Nora Yasamura

Marina would also like to thank our colleagues and wonderful team members who have
supported our important work with families in meaningful ways: Caitlin McGuire, Julie
Moloney, Kate Milani, and Tammy Alt.
Thanks to the Jossey-­Bass and Wiley team who helped us so much in shepherding us in
the creation of our first book. Special thanks to Amy Fandrei, acquisitions editor; Mary Beth
Rossworm, editorial assistant; Pete Gaughan, managing editor; Tom Dinse, development
editor; Premkumar Narayanan, content refinement specialist; Julie Kerr, copyeditor; and the
composition team at Straive for your patience and support.
We thank our nieces and nephews, Alex, Daphne, Emilia, and Magnolia, for their curios-
ity, bravery, and wit.
Seth would like to thank his parents, Arlene and Jeff, and brother, Max, for modeling
how to navigate the world with empathy, understanding, and respect. Marina would like to
thank Gomo and Elena and her family of educators, especially her talented siblings, Anthony
J. Lee, Sophia Lee Tanh, and Father Jaehwa Lee, and especially her father and dear mother,
John and Regina, whose sacrifices and courage have always given strength for the path ahead.
 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

B orn in Incheon, South Korea, Marina Minhwa Lee moved to the United States at a
young age, gaining an early perspective on the role of students in serving as cross-­
cultural “brokers” for families. A former biological researcher, Marina earned her Master of
Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where her studies focused on
immigration, education, and identities.
Marina went on to found Cogita Education Initiatives, a leading provider of educational
advising services that empowers students to connect together for the common good. Cogita
is committed to enlightening and educating global leaders by cultivating their potential to
be changemakers for their generation. Through Cogita, Marina has worked with hundreds
of immigrants and international families on transitions to the U.S. educational culture. She
is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, the
National Association of College Admission Counseling, and The Association of Boarding
Schools. She consults regularly with leading independent schools on international student
support, cultural competency training, and global education curriculum. She can be reached
at marinalee@cogitaeducation.com.
Seth Leighton grew up in a small town on the coast of Maine, regularly exploring the
outdoors with his friends and family. After attending the local public school in rural Maine,
his desire for adventure and exploration has led him around the world, and he has lived,
worked, and traveled across North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and
Australia.
Seth co-­founded Envoys, a unique organization that partners with innovative teachers
and schools to push the boundaries of possibility for global education. Using a blended
model of online courses and focused international travel programming, Envoys builds the
skill sets associated with global competency. Seth graduated cum laude from Harvard College
and has earned advanced degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and
the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Seth can be reached at Seth@envoys.com.

xiii
 PERSONAL NOTES FROM THE AUTHORS

Personal Note from Marina Lee: This Is My Why

At five years old, I immigrated to the United States of America from Incheon, South Korea.
It was very clear to me, even at that age, that there were certain gender expectations
within my family, no matter where I lived. I distinctly recall my parents scolding me for not
pouring the water properly into the glasses or setting the dinner plates down delicately. As
per their training and patterned behaviors, each time they were prefaced with, “Girls
should . . .”
I didn’t realize until college that many of the gender expectations from my family and my
school community contradicted each other. Each seemed to define what successful members
of a community looked like:

• If I followed one set of expectations, I would be considered a disempowered woman.

• If I followed the other, I would be a bold, unrighteous woman brought up without man-
ners, therefore shaming myself and my family.

Even as young as 10 years old, I cut up fruit and made coffee for my father’s guests and
friends of his or the family who visited our home. I often sat with them for a few minutes
and asked about how they were doing, allowed them to ask me questions about school and
grades, and then went upstairs to my room to study.
Schoolwork was the only excuse that would be a good enough reason not to stay long
with the guests. I excused myself politely, indicating I had a lot of schoolwork to do. I’d get
kind nods and enthusiastic “of course, of course” and other words of approval. In retrospect,
they were expressions of appreciation for following a culturally conditioned norm everyone
could rely on.
Even if a child providing snacks to guests was not expected in some households, it was
worthy of praise when she did. Yejul ee joh tah, meaning I was brought up with such strong
etiquette, reflecting the good family upbringing and being a good girl for following
their norm.

xv
xvi Personal Notes From The Authors

Almost any Korean household would agree that my role at the time wasn’t surprising to
them and would receive a lot of micro-­gender-­specific admiration. If one of my brothers
were to set up fruit for the guests, the praise would have been different, expressing an
out-­of-­the-­ordinary surprise and novelty.

Friends Opened Me to Another Perspective

When my friends came over and saw me prepare these snacks, they were confused. Most
feminists among us, or what we thought of like feminism, said I was a servant to men. They
did not understand why I needed to bring my parents’ guests anything. There was no praise
from them. I felt embarrassed by what they thought of me, whereas I thought I was doing
the right thing in my family.
Antithetical to this is how girls are brought up in the United States. Here, being bold,
independent, and even fierce is a good thing. Not speaking up means you don’t have an
opinion of your own, which means you don’t think critically or have a strong sense of self,
not that you were gracious enough to let others speak their minds and listen to them.
It was not surprising then when my primary school teacher asked my parents to meet her,
that although I was top of my class in grades and getting an A, she told them I was too quiet.
I needed to speak up in class and share more of my opinions. This was what would jeopard-
ize my grade. My father told me I needed to do better in school. Without realizing the
impact of her words, my teacher just made my father speak with me about values that
seemed to go against those I was brought up with. I was told conflicting messages, and
I didn’t know how to reconcile them. This started a spiral of identity questioning that inevi-
tably pitted two parts of my identity against each other, and it felt like there could be only
one winner.

Within Cultural Clarity: What Is Good and Bad

What I thought was “good” was “bad” and propagated disempowerment of women in U.S.
society. I was a part of a regression seen through the lens of my friends’—­and many other—­
“white” adults’ eyes.
As I grew older, I didn’t fully understand the complexity of cultural contexts beyond our
linear color graph of good, bad, and grey areas. The grey area implied it could be good or
bad depending on the context. I have now discovered that culturally influenced behavior,
customs, and traditions don’t fit into these bipolar, two-­dimensional extremes with the grey
area in between—­that is, there’s no possibility of many traditions having the potential to be
either good or bad, right or wrong.
 Personal Notes From The Authors xvii

I hope this book allows others to see instead that these traditions are, on the whole, linked
to another plane of existence that is deeply meaningful to the individual and families. They
are tied to the practice and historical connections that have shaped our values and, thus,
influenced our identity.

Personal Note from Seth Leighton

My childhood was characterized by a distinct lack of cultural diversity. Growing up in the
1980s and 1990s in the largely homogenous state of Maine, my interactions with cultures
different from my own were limited to the stereotypes portrayed through American enter-
tainment and media at the time.
While my parents, teachers, and greater community, by and large, provided consistent
messages for sensitivity and tolerance, like many white Americans, I grew up in a context
that supported a sense of my culture being the fundamental “correct” one, and the basis for
comparison between all other ways of being. College provided one immediate shake for this
perspective, but it was not until I was able to put myself into a wholly new situation that
I began to truly appreciate the challenges of living in a cross-­cultural milieu.

Broadening My World, and My Worldview

My international career began shortly after college when I took a volunteer teaching assign-
ment at a rural high school in the Rayong Province of Thailand. The first few weeks of my
time in Rayong were a whirlwind of work at the school, fighting through the normal experi-
ences of any first-­time teacher trying desperately to stay ahead with lesson planning and
classroom dynamics. I was very lucky to have experienced colleagues to rely on for the basics
of student management and to listen to ideas for creative lessons and activities. Very gradu-
ally, I built a degree of confidence in my own identity as an educator and took heart in the
real progress I saw in my students.
While at the school, I was placed with a host family who owned a large furniture factory.
My one-­room apartment was perched inside the factory, and my door opened out on
400 people crafting, assembling, and boxing rubberwood furniture for shipment around
the world.
While my host family was incredibly generous and amazingly kind, my hometown com-
munity seemed far away, and I felt a real disconnect from the people in my immediate sur-
roundings that was hard to manage. Having grown up in a small town in rural Maine, I was
accustomed to a sense of neighborliness that was hard to picture occurring in my present
circumstances. The physical and cultural distance from those around me seemed impossible
to bridge—­how would I ever be able to start a conversation?
xviii Personal Notes From The Authors

However, my feeling of connection would come back from the strangest set of circum-
stances, as one night I got a knock on my door from the brother in my host family. There
had been a delay in manufacturing, and an order had to be shipped out immediately. Could
I help with the packing?
Feeling a bit awkward, but eager to be of use, I took a spot on the factory floor. I was
greeted not with wariness, or even ambivalence, but instead with warm smiles and a happy
sense of camaraderie. I was handed a roll of shipping tape and given the task of closing off
the box of folding wooden chairs, destined for the shelves of Crate & Barrel.
That experience gave me a true immersion into the Thai concept of sanuk. More than
having fun, sanuk is about finding a gentle humor and pleasure in any activity. Jokes, songs,
and consistent friendly banter were the norm on the assembly and packing lines, and made
the hours fly by.
Soon I was on the factory floor on a regular basis. Welcomed in no small part as a teacher
of many of their children, I developed a real sense of belonging with the factory workers. My
Thai slowly improved, and the reality of this “far end” of the global supply chain became
very real for me, forever altering my perception of how products are made and how benefits
of employment and trade are distributed around the world. Most importantly, it was quite
humbling to feel such openness from people whose backgrounds were so different from mine.

Continuing My Journey
Since my time in Thailand, my experiences interacting with people with views of the world
that are radically different from my own have only grown. When I was 26 years old, I
received a fellowship from the U.S. Department of State to teach at a university in the city
of Gondar in northern Ethiopia.
This was a metropolis of some 250,000 people, with barely a handful of foreigners living
full time, mostly involved with the university and medical school. Gondar itself was a for-
mer capital of Ethiopia, with the massive fort still standing as a symbol of the Emperor
Fasilides’s seventeenth-­century kingdom that stretched over most of Northern Africa. By the
time I arrived, the city (and the country) had suffered through a combination of drought,
corruption and misrule, and foreign occupation that had devastated its economy for years.
Things were (and are) incredibly difficult for my students. Incredibly bright, talented, and
hardworking, they faced daily challenges of supplies and materials, yet they preserved and
served as a daily source of motivation for me.
Roughly two months into my time in Ethiopia, I developed a cough and mild fever. What
might have kept me home in bed for a morning in another place felt like a major cause for
 Personal Notes From The Authors xix

concern in this isolated community, so I headed into the local clinic to see what might be
occurring. In a tiny office with chemical reagents housed in recycled plastic milk containers,
a lab coat–clad doctor drew my blood for testing. I went over to his office and waited a short
while, and finally the doctor came in with the results.
“Your bloodwork has come in and shows signs of malaria. Do you agree? If so, we would
like you to start you on antimalarial medication.”
I was momentarily dumbfounded—­the idea that a medical professional would ask for my
“agreement” on a diagnosis was totally outside of my way of thinking. After a moment,
I realized this unique phrasing was a small sign of a slightly different framework around
decision-­making, wherein no important judgments could be made without some sense of
discussion and consensus. With this in mind, I agreed with the verdict, and returned to my
home for a few admittedly harrowing days of recovery.
I have been amazingly fortunate that my professional life has given me the opportunity
to work closely with people from around the world. As the founder of an educational travel
organization, I collaborate on a daily basis with people from drastically different sociocul-
tural backgrounds from my own. For this book, I wish to impart some of the frameworks
and lessons that I’ve learned along the way, and, most importantly, to ensure that the kind-
ness I have had in my life continues to be “paid forward” by well-­intentioned educators
everywhere.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
nueuos enamorados no entendian
en otra cosa, sino en mirarse uno
a otro, con tanta afecçion y
blandura como si uuiera mil años
que vuieran dado prinçipio a sus
amores. Y aquel dia estuuieron
alli todos, con grandissimo
contentamiento, hasta que otro
dia de mañana, despidiendose los
dos pastores, y pastora, de la
sábia Feliçia, y de Felismena, y
de Belisa, y assi mismo de todas
aquellas Nimphas, se boluieron
con grandissima alegria a su
aldea, donde aquel mismo dia
llegaron. Y la hermosa Felismena
que ya aquel dia se auia uestido
en trage de pastora,
despidiendose de la sábia Feliçia,
y siendo muy particularmente
auisada de lo que auia de hazer,
con muchas lagrimas la abraçó, y
acompañada de todas aquellas
Nimphas, se salieron al gran
patio, que delante de la puerta
estaua, y abraçando a cada vna
por si, se partio por el camino
donde la guiaron. No yua sola
Felismena este camino, ni aun
sus imaginaciones la dauan lugar
a que lo fuesse, pensando yua en
lo que la sábia Feliçia le auia
dicho, y por otra parte
considerando la poca ventura que
hasta alli auia tenido en sus
amores, le hazia dudar de su
descanso. Con esta contrariedad
de pensamientos yua lidiando, los
quales aun que por vna parte la
cansauan, por otra la entretenian,
de manera que no sentia la
soledad del camino. No vuo
andado mucho por en medio de
vn hermoso valle, quando a la
cayda del Sol, vio de lexos vna
choça de pastores, que entre
vnas enzinas estaua a la entrada
de vn bosque, y persuadida de la
hambre, se fue hazia ella, y
tambien porque la fiesta
començaua de manera que le
seria forçado passalla debaxo de
aquellos arboles. Llegado a la
choça, oyó que vn pastor dezia a
vna pastora que cerca dél estaua
assentada: No me mandes,
Amarilida, que cante, pues
entiendes la rayon que tengo de
llorar todos los dias que el alma
no desampare estos cansados
miembros; que puesto caso que
la musica es tanta parte para
hacer acresçentar la tristeza del
triste, como la alegria del que más
contento biue, no es mi mal de
suerte, que pueda ser
disminuydo, ni accresçentado,
con ninguna industria humana.
Aqui tienes tu çampoña, tañe,
canta, pastora, que muy bien lo
puedes hazer: pues que[1261]
tienes el coraçon libre y la
voluntad essenta de las
subiecçiones de amor. La pastora
le respondio: no seas, Arsileo,
auariento de lo que la naturaleza
con tan larga mano te ha
conçedido: pues quien te lo pide
sabra complazerte en lo que tú
quisieres pedille. Canta si es
possible aquella cançion que a
petiçion de Argasto heziste, en
nombre de tu padre Arsenio,
quando ambos seruiades a la
hermosa pastora Belisa. El pastor
le respondio: Estraña condiçion
es la tuya (o Amarilida) que
siempre me pides que haga lo
que menos contento me da. ¿Qué
haré que por fuerça he de
complazerte, y no por fuerça, que
assaz de mal aconsejado seria
quien de su voluntad no te
siruiesse? Mas ya sabes cómo mi
fortuna me va a la mano, todas
las vezes que algun aliuio quiero
tomar: o Amarilida, viendo la
razon que tengo de estar contino
llorando me mandas cantar? Por
qué quieres ofender a las
ocasiones de mi tristeza? Plega a
Dios que nunca mi mal vengas a
sentillo en causa tuya propia,
porque tan a tu costa no te
informe la fortuna de mi pena. Ya
sabes que perdi a Belisa, ya
sabes que biuo sin esperanza de
cobralla: por qué me mandas
cantar? Mas no quiero que me
tengas por descomedido, que no
es de mi condiçion serlo con las
pastoras á quien todos estamos
obligados a complazer. Y
tomando un rabel, que çerca de sí
tenía, le començo a templar, para
hazer lo que la pastora le
mandaua. Felismena que
açechando estaua oyó muy bien
lo que el pastor y pastora
passauan: quando vio que
hablauan en Arsenio y Arsileo,
seruidores de la pastora Belisa, a
los cuales tenía por muertos,
segun lo que Belisa auia contado
a ella, y a las Nimphas y pastores,
quando en la cabaña de la isleta
la hallaron, uerdaderamente
penso lo que veya ser alguna
vision, o cosa de sueño. Y
estando atenta, uio como el
pastor començo a tocar el rabel
tan diuinamente, que paresçia
cosa del cielo: y auiendo tañido
vn poco, con vna boz más
angelica, que de hombre humano,
dio prinçipio a esta cançion:

¡Ay vanas esperanças,

quantos dias
anduue hecho sieruo de vn
engaño,
y quán en vano mis cansados
ojos
con lagrimas regaron este
valle!
pagado me an amor y la
fortuna,
pagado me an, no sé de qué
me quexo.
Gran mal deuo passar, pues
yo me quexo,
que hechos á sufrir estan mis
ojos
los trances del amor, y la
fortuna:
¿sabeys de quien me agrauio?
de un engaño
de una cruel pastora deste
valle,
do puse por mi mal mis tristes
ojos.
Con todo mucho deuo yo a
mis ojos,
aunque con el dolor dellos me
quexo,
pues ui por causa suya en
este valle,
la cosa más hermosa que en
mis dias,
jamas pense mirar, y no me
engaño:
preguntenlo al amor y la
fortuna.
Aunque por otra parte la
fortuna,
el tiempo, la ocasion, los
tristes ojos,
el no estar reçeloso del
engaño,
causaron todo el mal de que
me quexo:
y ansi pienso acabar mis
tristes dias,
contando mis passiones a este
valle.
 Si el rio, el soto, el monte, el
prado, el valle,
la tierra, el cielo, el hado, la
fortuna,
las horas, los momentos,
años, dias,
el alma, el coraçon, tambien
los ojos,
agrauian mi dolor, quando me
quexo,
¿por qué dizes pastora que
me engaño?
Bien sé que me engañé,
más no es engaño,
porque de auer yo uisto en
este ualle
tu estraña perfecçion, jamas
me quexo,
sino de ver que quiso la
fortuna
dar a entender a mis cansados
ojos,
que allá uernia el remedio tras
los dias.
Y son pasados años,
meses, dias,
sobre esta confiança y claro
engaño:
cansados de llorar mis tristes
ojos,
cansado de escucharme el
soto, el valle,
y al cabo me responde la
fortuna,
burlandose del mal de que me
quexo.
¿Mas o triste pastor, de qué
me quexo,
si no es de no acabarse ya
mis dias?
¿por dicha era mi esclaua la
fortuna?
¿halo ella do pagar, si yo me
engaño?
¿no anduuo libre, essento en
este ualle?
¿quién me mandaua a mi
alçar los ojos?
¿Mas quién podra tambien
domar sus ojos
o cómo biuire si no me quexo,
del mal que amor me hizo en
este ualle?
mal aya un mal que dura
tantos dias,
mas no podra tardar, si no me
engaño,
que muerte no dé fin a mi
fortuna.

Venir suele bonanças tras

fortuna,
mas ya nunca veran jamas
mis ojos:
ni aun pienso caer en este
engaño,
bien basta ya el primero de
quien quexo,
y quexaré, pastora, quantos
dias
durare la memoria deste ualle.
Si el mismo dia, pastora,
que en el ualle
dio causa que te uiesse mi
 fortuna,
llegara el fin de mis cansados
dias,
o al menos uiera esquiuos
essos ojos:
çessara la razon con que me
quexo,
y no pudiera yo llamarme a
engaño.
Mas tú determinando
hazerme engaño
quando me uiste luego en este
ualle,
mostrauaste benigna, ved si
quexo
contra razon de amor, y de
fortuna;
despues no sé por qué
buelues tus ojos,
cansarte deuen ya mis tristes
dias.
Cançion de amor, y de
fortuna quexo:
y pues duró vn engaño tantos
dias,
regad ojos, regad el soto, el
ualle.

Esto cantó el pastor con muchas

lagrimas, y la pastora lo oyó con
grande contentamiento de uer la
graçia con que tañia y cantaua:
mas el pastor despues que dio fin
a su cançion, soltando el rabel de
las manos, dixo contra la pastora:
¿Estás contenta, Amarilida, que
por solo tu contentamiento, me
hagas hazer cosa que tan fuera
del mio es? Plega a Dios (o Alteo)
la fortuna te trayga al punto a que
yo por tu causa he uenido: para
que sientas el cargo en que te soy
por el mal que me hiziste. O
Belisa, quién ay en el mundo, que
más te deua que yo? Dios me
trayga a tiempo que mis ojos
gozen de ver tu hermosura, y los
tuyos vean si soy en
conosçimiento de lo que les deuo.
Esto dezia el pastor con tantas
lagrimas que no vuiera coraçon
por duro que fuera, que no se
ablandara. Oyendole la pastora,
le dixo: Pues que ya (Arsileo) me
has contado el prinçipio de tus
amores, y cómo Arsenio tu padre
fue la prinçipal causa de que tu
quisiesses bien á Belisa, porque
siruiendola él, se aprouechaua de
tus cartas y cançiones, y aun de
tu musica (cosa que él pudiera
muy bien escusar) te ruego me
cuentes cómo la perdiste. Cosa
es essa (le respondio el pastor)
que yo querria pocas vezes
contar, mas ya que es tu
condiçion mandar me hazer y
dezir aquello en que más pena
recibo, escucha, que en breues
palabras te lo dire. Auia en mi
lugar vn hombre llamado Alfeo,
que entre nosotros tuuo siempre
fama de grandissimo nigromante,
el qual quería bien a Belisa
primero que mi padre la
començasse a seruir, y ella no tan
solamente no podia velle, mas
aun si le hablauan en él, no auia
cosa que más pena le diesse.
Pues como éste supiesse un
conçierto que entre mí y Belisa
auia, de ylla a hablar desde
ençima de vn moral, que en una
huerta suya estaua, el diabolico
Alfeo hizo a dos espiritus que
tomasse el uno la forma de mi
padre Arsenio, y el otro la mia, y
que fuesse el que tomó mi forma
al conçierto, y el que tomó la de
mi padre uiniesse alli, y le tirasse
con una ballesta, fingiendo que
era otro, y que uiniesse él luego,
como que lo auia conosçido, y se
matase de pena de auer muerto a
su hijo, a fin de que la pastora
Belisa se diesse la muerte, uiendo
muerto a mi padre y a mí, o a lo
menos hiziesse lo que hizo. Esto
hazia el traydor de Alfeo, por lo
mucho que le pesaua de saber lo
que Belisa me queria, y lo poco
que se le daua por él. Pues como
esto ansi fue hecho, y a Belisa le
paresçiese que mi padre y yo
fuessemos muertos, de la forma
que he contado, desesperada se
salio de casa, y se fue donde
hasta agora no se ha sabido
della. Esto me conto la pastora
Armida, y yo uerdaderamente lo
creo, por lo que despues acá ha
suçedido. Felismena que entendio
lo que el pastor auia dicho, quedó
en extremo marauillada,
paresçiendole que lo que dezia
lleuaua camino de ser assí, y por
las señales que en él vio vino en
conosçimiento de ser aquel
Arsileo, seruidor de Belisa, al qual
ella tenía por muerto, y dixo entre
si: No sería razon que la fortuna
diesse contento ninguno a la
persona, que lo negasse a vn
pastor que tambien lo mereçe, y
lo ha menester. A lo menos, no
partiré yo deste lugar, sin darsele
tan grande, como lo reçebira con
las nueuas de su pastora. Y
llegandose a la puerta de la
choça, dixo contra Amarilida:
Hermosa pastora, a vna sin
ventura que ha perdido el camino,
y aun la esperança de cobralle,
no le dierades licencia para que
passasse la fiesta en este vuestro
aposento? La pastora quando la
vio, quedó tan espantada de ver
su hermosura, y gentil
disposiçion, que no supo
respondelle: empero Arsileo le
dixo: por çierto, pastora, no falta
otra cosa para hazer lo que por
vos es pedido, sino la posada no
ser tal como vos la meresceys,
pero si desta manera soys
seruida, entrá que no aura cosa
que por seruiros no se haga.
Felismena le respondió: Esas
palabras (Arsileo) bien paresçen
tuyas, mas el contento que yo en
pago dellas te dexaré, me dé Dios
a mí en lo que tanto ha que
desseo. Y diziendo esto, se entró
en la choça, y el pastor y la
pastora se leuantaron, haziendole
mucha cortesia, y boluiendose a
sentar todos, Arsileo le dixo: por
ventura, pastora, ha os ha dicho
alguno mi nombre, o aueys me
uisto en alguna parte antes de
aora? Felismena le respondió:
Arsileo, más sé de ti de lo que
piensas, aunque estés en trage
de pastor, muy fuera de como yo
te ui, quando en la academia
Salamantina estudiauas. Si
alguna cosa ay que comer,
mandamela dar, porque despues
te dire vna cosa que tú muchos
dias ha que desseas saber. Esso
haré yo de muy buena gana (dixo
Arsileo) porque ningun seruiçio se
os puede hazer, que no quepa en
vuestro meresçimiento. Y
descolgando Amarilida y Arsileo
sendos çurrones, dieron de comer
a Felismena, de aquello que para
sí tenian. Y despues que vuo
acabado, deseando Felismena de
alegrar a aquel que con tanta
tristeza biuia, le empeço a hablar
desta manera: No ay en la vida (o
Arsileo) cosa que en más se deua
tener, que la firmeza, y más en
coraçon de muger adonde las
menos vezes suele hallarse, mas
tambien hallo otra cosa, que las
más vezes son los hombres
causa de la poca constançia que
con ellos se tiene. Digo esto, por
lo mucho que tú deues a vna
pastora que yo conozco, la qual si
agora supiesse que eres biuo, no
creo que auria cosa en la uida
que mayor contento le diesse. Y
entonçes, le començo a contar
por orden todo lo que auia
passado, desde que mató los tres
saluages, hasta que uino en casa
de la sábia Felicia. En la qual
cuenta, Arsileo oyo nueuas de la
cosa que más queria, con todo lo
que con ella auian passado las
Nimphas, al tiempo que la
hallaron durmiendo en la isleta del
estanque, como atras aueys
oydo, y lo que sintio de saber que
la fe que su pastora le tenía
jamas su coraçon auia
desamparado, y el lugar cierto
donde la auia de hallar, fue su
contentamiento tan fuera de
medida, que estuuo en poco de
ponelle a peligro la vida. Y dixo
contra Felismena: ¿qué palabras
bastarian (hermosa pastora) para
encaresçer la gran merçed que de
vos he reçebido, o qué obras para
poderos la seruir? Plega a Dios
que el contentamiento, que vos
me aueys dado, os dé él en todas
las cosas que vuestro coraçon
dessea. O mi señora Belisa, que
es posible, que tan presto he yo
de ver aquellos ojos, que tan gran
poder en mí tuuieron? Y que
despues de tantos trabajos me
auia de sucçeder tan soberano
descanso? Y diziendo esto con
muchas lagrimas tomaua las
manos de Felismena, y se las
besana. Y la pastora Amarilida
hazia lo mesmo, diziendo:
verdaderamente (hermosa
pastora) vos aueys alegrado vn
coraçon el más triste que yo he
pensado ver, y el que menos
meresçia estarlo. Seys meses ha,
que Arsileo biue en esta cabaña
la más triste vida que nadie puede
pensar. Y vnas pastoras que por
estos prados repastan sus
ganados (de cuya compañía yo
soy) algunas uezes le entrauamos
a ver y a consolar, si su mal
sufriera consuelo. Felismena le
respondio: no es el mal de que
está doliente, de manera que
pueda reçebir consuelo de otro,
sino es de la causa dél o de quien
le dé las nueuas que yo aora le
he dado. Tan buenas son para mí,
hermosa pastora (le dixo Arsileo)
que me han renouado un coraçon
enuegeçido en pesares. A
Felismena se le entrenesçio el
coraçon tanto de uer las palabras
que el pastor dezia, y de las
lagrimas, que de contento lloraua,
quanto con las suyas dió
testimonio, y desta manera
estuuieron alli toda la tarde, hasta
que la fiesta fue toda passada,
que despidiendose Arsileo de las
dos pastoras, se partio con
mucho contento, para el templo
de Diana, por donde Felismena le
auia guiado.
Syluano y Seluagia con aquel
contento que suelen tener los que
gozan despues de larga ausençia
de la vista de sus amores,
caminauan hazia el deleytoso
prado, donde sus ganados
andauan pasçiendo, en compañia
del pastor Sireno; el qual aunque
yua ageno del contentamiento
que en ellos ueya, tambien lo yua
de la pena que la falta dél suele
causar. Porque ni él pensaua en
querer bien ni se le daua nada en
no ser querido. Syluano le dezia:
Todas las uezes que te miro
(amigo Sireno) me paresçe que
ya no eres el que solias: mas
antes creo que te has mudado,
juntamente con los pensamientos.
Por una parte casi tengo piedad
de ti, y por otra, no me pesa de
verte tan descuydado de las
desuenturas de amor. ¿Por qué
parte (dixo Sireno) tienes de mí
manzilla? Syluano le respondio.
Porque me paresçe, que estar vn
hombre sin querer, ni ser querido,
es el más enfadoso estado, que
puede ser en la vida. No ha
muchos dias (dixo Sireno) que tú
entendias esto muy al reues,
plega a Dios que en este mal
estado me sustente a mí la
fortuna, y a ti en el contento que
reçibes con la vista de Seluagia.
Que puesto caso, que se puede
auer embidia de amar, y ser
amado de tan hermosa pastora:
yo te aseguro que la fortuna no se
descuyde de templaros el
contento que reçebis con vuestros
amores. Seluagia dixo entonces:
no será tanto el mal que ella con
sus desuariados sucçesos nos
puede hazer, quanto es el bien de
verme tan bien empleada. Sireno
le respondió: Ah Seluagia, que yo
me he visto tambien querido
quanto nadie puede verse, y tan
sin pensamiento de ver fin a mis
amores, como vosotros lo estays
aora: Mas nadie haga cuenta sin
la fortuna, ni fundamento sin
considerar las mudanças de los
tiempos. Mucho deuo a la sábia
Feliçia, Dios se lo pague, que
nunca yo pense poder contar mi
mal en tiempo que tan poco lo
sintiesse. En mayor deuda le soy
yo (dixo Seluagia) pues fue causa
que quisiesse bien a quien yo
jamas dexe de uer delante mis
ojos. Syluano dixo boluiendo los
suyos hazia ella: essa deuda,
esperança mia, yo soy el que con
más razon la deuia pagar, a ser
cosa que con la vida pagar se
pudiera. Essa os dé Dios, mi bien
(dixo Seluagia) porque sin ella la
mia sería muy escusada. Sireno
viendo las amorosas palabras que
se dezian, medio riendo les dixo:
No me paresçe mal que cada uno
se sepa pagar tan bien que ni
quiera quedar en deuda, ni que le
deuan, y aun lo que me paresçe,
es que segun las palabras que
unos a otros dezis, sin yo ser el
terçero, sabriades tratar nuestros
amores. En estas y otras razones
passauan los nueuos
enamorados y el descuydado
Sireno el trabajo de su camino, al
qual dieron fin al tiempo que el sol
se queria poner, y antes que
llegassen a la fuente de los
Alisos, oyeron vna boz de una
pastora, que dulçemente cantaua:
la qual fue luego conosçida,
porque Syluano en oyendola, les
dixo: Sin duda es Diana, la que
junto a la fuente de los Alisos
canta. Seluagia respondio:
Verdaderamente aquella es,
metamonos entre los myrthos,
junto a ella, porque mejor
podamos oylla. Sireno les dixo:
Sea como nosotros ordenaredes,
aunque tiempo fue que me diera
mayor contento su musica, y aun
su vista que no agora. Y
entrandose todos tres por entre
los espesos myrthos, ya que el
sol se queria poner, vieron junto a
la fuente a la hermosa Diana, con
tan grande hermosura, que como
si nunca la vuieran visto, ansi
quedaron admirados: tenía
sueltos sus hermosos cabellos, y
tomadas atras con una çinta
encarnada, que por medio de la
cabeça los repartia. Los ojos
puestos en el suelo y otras vezes
en la clara fuente, y limpiando
algunas lagrimas, que de quando
en quando le corrian, cantaua
este romançe.

Quando yo triste nasçi,

luego nasçi desdichada:
luego los hados monstraron
mi suerte desuenturada,
el sol escondió sus rayos,
la luna quedó eclipsada,
murio mi madre en pariendo,
moça hermosa, y mal lograda:
el ama que me dio leche,
jamas tuuo dicha en nada,
ni menos la tune yo,
soltera ni desposada.
Quise bien, y fuy querida:
oluidé, y fuy oluydada:
esto causó vn casamiento,
que a mí me tiene cansada.
Casara yo con la tierra,
no me viera sepultada
entre tanta desuentura
que no puede ser contada.
Moça me casó mi padre,
 de su obediençia forçada:
puse a Sireno en oluido
que la fe me tenía dada,
pago tan bien mi descuydo
qual no fue cosa pagada.
Celos me hazen la guerra,
sin ser en ellos culpada:
con çelos uoy al ganado,
con çelos a la majada,
y con çelos me leuanto
contino a la madrugada:
con çelos como a su mesa,
y en su cama só acostada,
si le pido de que ha çelos,
no sabe responder nada;
jamas tiene el rostro alegre,
siempre la cara inclinada,
los ojos por los rincones,
la habla triste y turbada,
¡cómo biuira la triste
que se uee tan mal casada!

A tiempo pudiera tomar a Sireno

el triste canto de Diana, con las
lagrimas que derramaua cantando
y la tristeza de que su rostro daua
testimonio, que al pastor pusieran
en riesgo de perder la uida, sin
ser nadie parte para remedialle,
mas como ya su coraçon estaua
libre de tan peligrosa prision,
ningun contento reçibio con la
uista de Diana, ni pena con sus
tristes lamentaçiones. Pues el
pastor Syluano, no tenía a su
paresçer porque pesalle de
ningun mal que a Diana
sucçediesse; visto como ella
jamas se auia dolido de lo que a
su causa auia passado. Sola
Seluagia le ayudó con lagrimas,
temerosa de su fortuna. Y dixo
contra Sireno. Ninguna
perfecçion, ni hermosura puede
dar la naturaleza, que con Diana
largamente no la aya repartido:
porque su hermosura no creo yo
que tiene par, su graçia, su
discreçion, con todas las otras
partes que una pastora deue
tener. Nadie le haze uentaja, sola
una cosa le faltó, de que yo
siempre le vue miedo, y esto es la
ventura: pues no quiso dalle
compañia con que pudiesse
passar la uida, con el descanso
que ella meresçe. Sireno
respondio: quien a tantos le ha
quitado, justa cosa es que no le
tenga. Y no digo esto, porque no
me pese del mal desta pastora,
sino por la grandissima causa que
tengo de dessearsele. No digas
esso (dixo Seluagia) que yo no
puedo creer que Diana te aya
ofendido en cosa alguna. ¿Qué
offensa te hizo ella en casarse,
siendo cosa que estaua en la
uoluntad de su padre, y deudos,
más quen la tuya? Y despues de
casada, qué pudo hazer por lo
que tocaua a su honra, sino
oluidarte? cierto, Sireno, para
quexarte de Diana más legitimas