Identical command-line command will not work with \i metacommand and filename

I enter the identical command:

select * from mesh_descriptors;

using the psql command line and it works perfectly.

The same command in a file produces an immediate syntax error:

EFNWeb=# \i ./CopySql.sql
psql:./CopySql.sql:1: ERROR:  syntax error at or near "select"
LINE 1: select * from mesh_descriptors;

when run from a file using \i

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,

John Gage