I will first start with the poem and its translation.
Kurunthokai 31
Nowhere , not among the warriors at their festival, nor with the girls dancing close in pairs, nowhere did i see my lover. I am a dancer; my pride,my lover -for love of him these conch -shell bangles slip from my wasting hands- he's a dancer too.
Poet: Adimanthiyar
Translated by A.K.Ramanujan
This poem is supposed to be written by Athimanthiyar. According to legends she is the daughter of the Great Karikala Cholan. Her lover/husband was from Prince form Vanji, the capital of Cheras. He was known as Vanjikon. He was an excellent dancer hence bore the title Attan Atti. She lost her lover in the floods of Kaveri at a port of Kazhar during river festival. She wandered in search of him and finally recovered him at the mouth of the great river. We come to know about this legend from the following poems in Akananuru by Paranar.
Akananuru 376
`In the land where farms were flourishing with grains, people gathered befored the temple adobe of Kazha Ar. Karikalan was happy seeing the roring atmosphere. celebrating the water festival where soothing music was played, With water moving down the warrior anklet of his read feet, with black crochet ,it was a beautiful site and drum with gold bell attached it were sounding when Atanathi the great dancer was dancing near the river while Kaveri mesmerised by his beauty took him away with her floods."
Poet : Paranar
(my own rough translation)
Akananuru 396
"Manthi with her eyes full of tears hating everything around her, Enjoying beauty of the intense vigor with which her lover Attanathi was dancing, river Kaveri hid him with her floods."
Poet : Paranar
(my own rough translation)
Akananuru 222
"In a great port called Kazhaar where the festival was taking place, danced a man with broad beautiful shoulders named Attanathi, seeing his beauty Flooding Kaveri with her black tresses took him away. Losing her senses his wife Adimanthi was searching for him in all directions. She went into the river which indicated her where her husband was. Like the greatness of the women in this song you too would attain greatness."
Poet : Paranar
(my own rough translation)
This Legend can be even found in Silapadikaram. Where the poet gives instances of women with great chastity. Here the poet says because of the great chastity of Adimanthi , her husband was recovered from mouth of death.
"A daughter of the famous king,Karikala,once jumped into the sea that had carried away her husband Vanjikon calling to him,'Lord with shoulders like mountains!" The god of sea himself brought back her husband to her.Clasping him like a liana,she led him to their home.
Poet: Illango Adigal
Translated by Alain Danielou
This Legend has survived even during our period. Kannadasan inspired by this legend wrote a epic Attanathi Aadimanthi. Later he made this into a movie called Mannadhi Mannan staring MGR as Attanathi and Angla Devi as Adimanthi. The movie has some very famous songs including `Acham enbathu Madamaiyada'. The film also features a dance competition between Padmini and MGR where MGR draws a tiger with his leg while he dances. The commentary to Kurunthokai 31 says, Attanthi was behind another women and wanted to marry her. This line is used by Kannadasan to introduce Padmini character as another lover of MGR and shape the script as typical Tamil movie.