Night of the Scorpion

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Night of the Scorpion is a poem by Nissim Ezekiel.

It tells the story of a time when Nissim was a child and his family lived in Bombay in India. One day, his mother was stung by a scorpion. The poem describes the attempts by Nissim's father, the local peasants and the holy man to cure her, far away from Western medicine. The conflict between the peasants "buzzing the name of God" and Nissim's father, "sceptic, rationalist, trying every curse and blessing" because he is willing to try anything to save his wife, is the centre of the poem.

For those who do not know the truth of the events described, the ending of the poem leaves the question open of whether his mother survived. Most sources agree that she does survive, although the alternative interpretation can be equally valid.

The poem has been included in the AQA Anthology for study at GCSE.