Words of Great Elegance

7.18 The son has elegant words, the Poetry, the Book, and the execution of rites, all of which are in elegant language.

Original interpretation:

Confucius used elegant words when he read the Book of Poetry, the Book of Shang, and performed rites, all in elegant words.

Personal insights:

The so-called elegant language is similar to today's Mandarin, a more formal language. Here, the language used by Confucius in his main activities is used to illustrate his respect for the civilized tradition.

During the Spring and Autumn period, the languages of the vassal states were not unified, and each of them had its own dialect. The elegant language is the common language, which is the correct sound.

Language is a tool of culture, and Chinese language and writing is one of the characteristics of Chinese civilization. Confucius had great respect for it, and used the elegant language when he talked about the Book of Poetry, the Book of Shang, or when he performed rituals, advocating traditional culture and morality.

At one time, some people wanted to pinyinize the Chinese language, but found that it was not feasible at all. If the classic Tang and Song poems were passed down in the vernacular, no one would be able to appreciate the original flavor of the poems.