Earliest attested in Tang-dynasty Li Quan's 《
太白阴经·
祭风伯文》 (an essay invoking the wind god): '
鼓怒而走石飞沙，
翻江倒海' ('roaring fury sends stones flying and sand swirling, overturning rivers and seas'). Lu You's Song-dynasty poem 《
夜宿阳山矶》 reuses it. Modern use covers literal turmoil (a wrecked room, a stomach upset) and emotional turmoil.
