The stream is ruthless but it seems to have affection for me. It has been with me for three days in the mountains. The top of the mountain is where we parted ways. The gurgling water bid me farewell all night long.
Original text:
"Crossing the Water Ridge" by Wen Tingyun of the Tang Dynasty:
The ruthless stream seems to be affectionate, and it takes three days to walk in the mountains.
Lingtou is the place where we part ways, the sound of farewell is heard all night long.
The watershed described in the poem is probably the Jizhong Mountain in the southeast of Lueyang County, Shaanxi today. This is a place that must be passed between Qin, Shu or Qin and Liang. It was a famous traffic artery in the Tang Dynasty, so it is generally called the watershed instead of the location. The title is "Crossing the Watershed", but it actually writes about a relationship with the stream during the journey across the watershed, and the poetic feelings caused by it.
Extended information:
This poem was written by the author in the autumn and winter of 830 AD (the fourth year of Emperor Wenzong's reign in the Tang Dynasty). This poem was written by Wen Tingyun when he passed the watershed eighty miles southeast of Lueyang County, Hanzhong Prefecture (now part of Shaanxi) on his way from Qin (Shaanxi) to Shu (Sichuan).
The flowing water under the watershed has been flowing like this for thousands of years. Because of Wen Tingyun's deep understanding of the traveling life and the special value he placed on the friendship between friends, he was able to discover a companion like Xi Shui and endow it with a touching human beauty. Here, rather than saying that it is the poetic inspiration that triggers the poet's emotions about objective things, it is better to say that the poet has transferred his beautiful feelings to objective things.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Watershed