Metaphor is the poetic mechanism of The Songs of the South,and metaphor translation is directly related to the target reader's understanding and comprehension.Metaphor translation should take into account the function of metaphor in conveying the poet's patriotism and awareness of potential dangers.Based on cognitive linguistics and pragmatics,ways of translating metaphors are discussed in The Songs of the South.Since metaphor and metonymy can achieve the target of referential purpose,meaning shift of ellipsis of metaphor can arrive at the auther's pragmatic purpose.Proper metaphor translation helps shape the image of the poet's patriotic pursuit,and helps the target reader understand the profound meaning of the poetry,and it is also conducive to the dissemination of Chinese traditional culture.