Languages in Paradise wrote:In Paradise XXVI, 24–138, however, Adam says:
"La langua ch'io parlai fu tutta spenta
innanzi che all'ovra inconsummabile
fosse la gente di Nembròt atenta:
ché nullo effetto mai razionabile,
per lo piacer uman che rinovella
seguendo il cielo, sempre fu durabile.
Opera naturale è ch'uom favella,
ma, così o così, natura lascia,
poi fare a voi, secondo che v'abbella.
Pria ch'i' scendessi all'infernale ambascia
I s'appellava in terra il sommo bene,
ondo vien la letizia che mi fascia;
e EL si chamò poi: e ciò convene,
ché l'uso dei mortali è come fronda
in ramo, che sen va el altra vene."
A literal translation would be:
"The language that I spoke was entirely extinguished before the uncompleatable work (the tower of Babel) of the people of Nembrot was even conceived. For no product of the human reason, from the human taste for always having something new, following the influence of stars, but, whether this way or that, nature lets you do yourselves, as it pleases you. Before I descended into the pains of Hell, on earth the Highest Good was called I, from whence comes the light of Joy that enfold me. the name then became EL, and this change was proper, because the customs of mortals are like leaves on a branch, one goes and another comes."
This means that the Hebrew spoken before the building of the tower, when God was named El, was not the same as the Hebrew spoken in the earthly paradise, when Adam called Him I.
[---] A first and absolutely ridiculous [?] interpretation goes: I is the Roman numeral signifying the number one, the number of perfect unity.
(Underlinings are mine.) It is weird to say the least to find from the ancient proto-Italic language of Dante Alighieri the same name for the "pre-Hell earthly God", who gave "the light of Joy" the same name that I have often mentioned that is the perfect English name for Ego-Lucifer, the Watcher (the vesica piscis Eye of guardian angel Azazel within), namely "I". It is by pure chance – as is said about these things – that this particular word and letter also means one's self in English.
I had read canto 26 in Finnish, and paid only passing interest on the translation that mentions the sacred name of "I", since the original meaning was left hazy by the translator, and I considered it might be a typo. But it is not, and here in Paradise of Adam we have the whole line of God, Lucifer, and Man, unbroken, from the dialects of Paradise, via Umbria, to English.
I disagree with Eco that taking this "I" is not fitting to be taken also as the Roman number for one, unity (cf. Luciferian doctrine of occultism as the "Philosophy of Oneness"). His claims for making it "ridiculous" do not hold water in the least, but I will not encumber this simple quotation by starting to analyze the problems of his criticism.