[467] 28. "Bhikkhus, these three kinds of persons are found existing in the world. What three? The one whose speech is like dung (gūthabhāṇī), the one whose speech is like flowers (pupphabhāṇī), and the one whose speech is like honey (madhubhāṇī).
"And what, bhikkhus, is the person whose speech is like dung? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having gone to a council, or gone to an assembly, or gone into the midst of his relatives, or gone into the midst of a guild, or gone into the midst of the royal court, being brought forward and questioned as a witness thus: 'Come, good man, tell what you know'—he, not knowing, says 'I know,' or knowing, says 'I do not know'; not seeing, says 'I see,' or seeing, says 'I do not see.' Thus for his own sake, or for the sake of another, or for the sake of some trifling material gain, he is one who speaks deliberate falsehood. This, bhikkhus, is called the person whose speech is like dung.
"And what, bhikkhus, is the person whose speech is like flowers? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having gone to a council, or gone to an assembly, or gone into the midst of his relatives, or gone into the midst of a guild, or gone into the midst of the royal court, being brought forward and questioned as a witness thus: 'Come, good man, tell what you know'—he, not knowing, says 'I do not know,' or knowing, says 'I know'; not seeing, says 'I do not see,' or seeing, says 'I see.' Thus for his own sake, or for the sake of another, or for the sake of some trifling material gain, he is not one who speaks deliberate falsehood. This, bhikkhus, is called the person whose speech is like flowers.
"And what, bhikkhus, is the person whose speech is like honey? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having abandoned harsh speech, is one who abstains from harsh speech; he is one who speaks such speech as is blameless, pleasing to the ear, lovable, going to the heart, urbane, desired by many people, and agreeable to many people. This, bhikkhus, is called the person whose speech is like honey.
"These, bhikkhus, are the three kinds of persons found existing in the world."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.