How would you translate "gusaneo" into English?

Question

From another Pales Matos line " La soledad absorbe como esponja vacia, y abajo un gusaneo de miseria,...y arriba...." So far I've decided to translated it as a wormful of misery. Any ideas?

Answer 1

How about "a worm-nest of misery"? Or a worm swarm of misery? Or, less literally, a skin crawling misery?

wow, very nice alba, great answer! - 006595c6, Jul 10, 2017

Thanks, Heidita! - alba3, Jul 10, 2017

Answer 2

“Gusaneo” I look it at as “teeming”. Think of a pail of maggots or a basket of spiders’; a caldera of molten lava, or a gaping abdominal wound. .

Yes. "Gusano" is a worm so thinking of a bunch of worms or larvae writhing around sure does give one an "icky" feeling. - Daniela2041, Jul 10, 2017

Answer 3

Hi don, if this is a writer...Alba's translation looks perfect to me. Poetic and yet to the point.

I was only defining the word. I like Alba's "skin crawling" interpretation. - DonBigoteDeLaLancha, Jul 11, 2017

I think worm-nest of misery is the best answer so far also. - donrono, Jul 11, 2017

I decided to check on the definitions of animal groupings. For worms, nest isn't used but bed is. Even though the poet was already playing with the language, to be technically more correct, I'll use a worm-bed of misery. - donrono, Jul 11, 2017