Urban Legends, Vol. 1: Japanese Urban Legends

Tomino no Jigoku (Tomino's Hell)

There is a poem named "Tomino's Hell [Tomino no Jigoku]", which apparently is a cursed piece of literature. If you read this poem out loud, you will get sick or get injured, or in the worst cases, death. The poem must only be read with the mind.

The poem was written by Yomota Inuhiko in a book called "The Heart is Like a Rolling Stone", and was included in Saizo Yaso's 27th collection of poems in 1919. It says a warning that if you read this poem out loud, "bad things will happen".

It is a poem about a boy named Tomino who falls to Hell.

Here is the poem.

トミノの地獄

Tomino no Jigoku (Tomino's Hell)
—

西條八十

Saijo Yaso

詩集「砂金」より
—

姉は血を吐く、妹（いもと）は火吐く、

ane wa chi wo haku, imoto wa hihaku,

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 jihoku 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 aneka,

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 who the whip's shubusa(?) is.

叩けや叩きやれ叩かずとても、

tatake yatataki yare tataka zutotemo,

Hit, hit, without hitting,

無間地獄はひとつみち。

mugen jigoku wa hitotsu michi.

Familiar 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 hitsu 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 ni yaikura hodoireyo,

I wonder how much he put into the leather pocket,

無間地獄の旅支度。

mugen jigoku no tabishitaku.

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 kitesoru hayashi ni tani ni,

Spring is coming even in the forest and the steam,

暗い地獄谷七曲り。

kurai jigoku tanina namagari.

Even in the steam of the dark Hell.

籠にや鶯、車にや羊、

kagoni yauguisu, kuruma ni yahitsuji,

The bush arbler 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 ga giri.

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。

kitsunebotan 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 gozarabamo de kitetamore,

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 tomebari wo.

The needle of the graves.

赤い留針だてにはささぬ、

akai tomehari date niwa 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.