Tomino's Hell

This is a popular Japanese story, it is about a poem called "Tomino's Hell." They say that you should only read with your mind, and never out loud. If you were to read it out loud, then you must take responsibility for your actions. "Tomino's Hell" (トミノの地獄) is written by Yomota Inuhiko (四方田 犬彦) in a book called "The Heart is Like a Rolling Stone" (心は転がる石のように), And was included in Saizo Yaso's (西條 八十) 27th collection of poems in 1919. It's not sure how this rumor started, but there's only a warning that, "If you read this poem out loud, tragic things (凶事) will happen." It just looks like a curse. It asks to not compare this with the common "You'll grow taller" or even "My parents died." Do you get a sense of how dangerous this is?

This story used to be very popular in 2ch, and there were many people taking pictures and videos as proof and posting them on 2ch. There were many users that said that nothing happened, but there were also many posts that didn't have the user come back to post the results. I think it's scarier than someone posting that someone else got sick or that someone else passed away. But if you were to read it out loud, it's better to read it in Japanese rather than the translation.

トミノの地獄

Tomino no Jigoku (Tomino's Hell)

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西條八十

Saijo Yaso

詩集「砂金」より

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姉は血を吐く、妹（いもと）は火吐く、

ane wa chi wo haku, imoto wa hibaku,

His older sister vomited blood, his younger sister vomited fire,

可愛いトミノは 宝玉（たま）を吐く。

kawaii tomino wa tama wo haku

And the cute Tomino vomited glass beads.

ひとり地獄に落ちゆくトミノ、

hitori jigoku ni ochiyuku tomino,

Tomino fell into Hell alone,

地獄くらやみ花も無き。

jigoku kurayami hana mo naki.

Hell is wrapped in darkness and even the flowers don't bloom.

鞭で叩くはトミノの姉か、

muchi de tataku wa tomino no ane ka,

Is the person with the whip Tomino's older sister,

鞭の朱総（しゅぶさ）が 気にかかる。

muchi no shubusa ga ki ni kakaru.

I wonder whose blood is on it?

叩けや叩きやれ叩かずとても、

tatakeya tatakiyare tatakazu totemo,

Hit, hit, without hitting,

無間地獄はひとつみち。

mugen jigoku wa hitotsu michi.

Infinite Hell's one road.

暗い地獄へ案内（あない）をたのむ、

kurai jigoku e anai wo tanomu,

Would you lead him to the dark Hell,

金の羊に、鶯に。

kane no hitsuji ni, uguisu ni.

To the sheep of gold, to the bush warbler.

皮の嚢（ふくろ）にやいくらほど入れよ、

kawa no fukuro niya ikura hodo ireyo,

Fit as much as you can into the leather sack,

無間地獄の旅支度。

mugen jigoku no tabijitaku.

For the preparation of the journey in the familiar Hell.

春が 来て候（そろ）林に谿（たに）に、

haru ga kite soro hayashi ni tani ni,

Spring is coming even in the forest and the stream,

暗い地獄谷七曲り。

kurai jigoku tani nana magari.

Even in the seven valley streams of the dark Hell.

籠にや鶯、車にや羊、

kago niya uguisu, kuruma niya hitsuji,

The bush warbler in the birdcage, the sheep in the wagon,

可愛いトミノの眼にや涙。

kawaii tomino no me niya namida.

Tears in the eyes of cute Tomino.

啼けよ、鶯、林の雨に

nakeyo, uguisu, hayashi no ame ni

Cry, bush warbler, toward the raining forest

妹恋しと 声かぎり。

imouto koishi to koe kagiri.

He shouts that he misses his little sister.

啼けば反響（こだま）が地獄にひびき、

nakeba kodama ga jigoku ni hibiki,

The crying echo reverberates throughout Hell,

狐牡丹の花がさく。

kitsune botan no hana ga saku.

The fox penoy blooms.

地獄七山七谿めぐる、

jigoku nanayama nanatani meguru,

Circling around Hell's seven mountains and seven streams,

可愛いトミノのひとり旅。

kawaii tomino no hitoritabi.

The lonely journey of cute Tomino.

地獄ござらばもて 来てたもれ、

jigoku gozaraba mote kite tamore,

If they're in Hell bring them to me,

針の御山（おやま）の留針（とめはり）を。

hari no oyama no tomehari wo.

The needle of the graves.

赤い留針だてにはささぬ、

akai tomehari date ni wa sasanu,

I won't pierce with the red needle,

可愛いトミノのめじるしに。

kawaii tomino no mejirushini.

In the milestones of little Tomino.

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