Gloranthan songs: Mira

When I decided this song was Gloranthan I had no idea where it originated in the Real World. I heard it being sung by a group called "Hearts of Oak": in particular, by Horace, who has a wonderful rich bass.

Since then I've done some Web searching and discovered this:

The song is by Alistair McGillivray of Cape Breton, 1975. It can be found in "The Anne Murray Collection" songbook.
And it can be found in the book: "Song For The Mira and other compositions" Allister MacGillivray

So there you go: not that old, and still in copyright. Oops.

In Glorantha, I think it's a Praxian/Pavis song that describes one of the bases of the Three-Bean Circus. Maybe it's in the Hidden Greens: that would explain why the singer only wishes he could be there, and doesn't actually go until the last verse. It seems to involve a river called the Mira, and a bridge over it.
It needed one change, since there isn't a place called "Oak Island" in Prax.

Out on the Mira one warm afternoon,
Old men go fishing with black line and spoon
And if they catch nothing they never complain,
I wish I was with them again.

As boys in their boats call to girls on the shore,
Teasing the one that they really adore,
And into the evening the courting begins,
I wish I was with them again.

Can you imagine a piece of the universe
more fit for princes and kings?
I'll give you ten of your cities
for Marion bridge and the pleasure it brings

Out on the Mira on soft summer nights
Bonfires blaze to the children's delight
They dance round the flames singing songs with their friends;
I wish I was with them again.

And over the ashes the stories are told
Of witches and werewolves and old Pavic gold
The stars on the river they sparkle and spin;
I wish I was with them again.

Can you imagine a piece of the universe
more fit for princes and kings?
I'll give you ten of your cities
for Marion bridge and the pleasure it brings

Out on the Mira the people are kind,
They'll treat you to home-brew and help you unwind.
And if you come broken they'll see that you mend
I wish I was with them again.

And thus I conclude with a wish you go well,
Sweet be your dreams, may your happiness swell,
I'll leave you here, for my journey begins,
I'm going to be with them, going to be with them,
I'm going to be with them again.

Update, May 1997: Since I put this on the Web I've had contact from a chap who actually knows the original bridge over the Mira. To quote his comments:

"That area of Cape Breton is located in the highlands. Because the island was settled predominately by Scots and a few French it has taken on a very very Scot culture. There are still people of my age,44 who speak Gaelic fluently and when I was a child there it was not unusual to find people in pockets who spoke only Gaelic. The geography of the entire Island mimics Scotland, apparently in almost all characteristics.
"The Mira is a river that flows out of the highlands to the sea (I guess that would go without saying) and is the subject of much poetry and some song. The Mira Bridge is a very beautiful arch which spans the river at the bottom of a steep turn in the highway. The highway is the famous Cabot Trail which is a big tourist attraction itself. In an icy winter storm there is little beauty in this spectacle as many accidents have occurred there.
"It is an interesting aspect of my East coast culture and background that bridges play a big role in growing up. Unlike the West, where we have been living for the last 21 years, bridges were a common gathering place for the youth of a community. They were a place to go to get out of the house and away from parents. Girls clutched together at one end to discuss new catalog fashions and boys, older boys would gather at the other end to discuss cars and of course the girls, younger boys would fish, throw stones into the water and dodge passing automobiles. Perhaps the least dangerous activity of the three groups. Together we socialized and learned how to grow up. I think we all connected to the water in some way, it was always flowing and so were we. We just didn't know it at the time. This is common to most communities on the east coast too. Driving through any small town or village you will very likely find one or two people at least who are passing time with elbows on the rail, staring into the water and conversing."

So now we know. Thanks, Phil. I think I'll leave my Mira in Prax rather than turning it Scottish (where would that be: Sartar? Heortland?), but the aspect of a bridge as a social meeting place hadn't occured to me, and would fit nicely.