He is one of the most prominent poets of the first half of the 20thCentury. Despite a short life (died at 43 years of age) he was a prolific writer. He left a wealth of poetry and prose writings and translations as well as hundreds of newspaper articles published in Lebanon and Egypt.
These articles spanned multiple subjects from literature and sociology to treating events, social and political issues that his generation was witnessing. His writings reveal a vast knowledge and command of foreign literary writing especially French Literature.
He had several prose publications, mainly: “Bundles of Flowers” (طاقات زهور), and “Goodwill Workers” (العمال الصالحون)in 1927, « Drawings » (الرسوم), in 1932; and « Bonds of Thought and Spirit between Arabs and Franks» (روابط الفكر والروح بين العرب والفرنجة) in 1943. He translated many French books into Arabic, mainly: « Jocelyn » (جوسلان) in 1927, «The Biography of Napoleon» (تاريخ نابوليون) in 1929, «Le MédecinMalgréLui»(الطبيب رغمًا عنه) in 1932, «Lebanon in the Word» (لبنان في العالم) in 1944, « This is Our Heritage » (تلك أثارنا) in 1944, « Micromégas » (ميكروميغاس) in 1946, «Oscar Wild in Court » (أوسكار وايلد أمام القضاء) in 1947, «Baudelaire’s love life » (بودلير في حياته الغرامية)that appeared few weeks after his death in 1947.
Short biography:
1903: Born on the 3rdof May in Providence, the capital of Rhode Island in the United States of America while his parents were visiting the mother’s uncle the poet Elias FERZAN.In December of that year, his parents brought him back to Zouk Mikael where he lived for the remainder of his life.His father Youssef ABOU CHABAKE was from a well to do family from Zouk Mikael and his mother, Nayla GHOSN EL SHAHBA, was from Ajaltoun. Elias, the only boy in the family, has two sisters, the younger Virginie, lived with him in their family’s home in Zouk Mikael and never married. The older, Marie, lived most of her life with her Husband Ghosn GHOSN in the United States of America.
1911: Entered Antoura School, where he started his elementary education, interrupted by the First World War he resumed his education until 1922.
1913: Death of his father, assasinated in Khartoum while on a business trip to Sudan.
1926: Publication of his first poetry collection entiteled « The guitar » (القيثارة)
1932: Married his neighbor Olga SAROUFIM, on the 10th of December, after 9 years engagement. It’s Olga who inspired much his early poetry.
1938: Publication of his masterpiece poetry collection: « The Snakes of Heaven » (أفاعي الفردوس)
1940: Met Leila el ADEM, a woman from Zouk Mikael who became his “Muse” for his poetry.
1941: Publication of his poetry collection « Melodies » (الألحان).
1944: Publication of «call of the heart» (نداء القلب).
1945: Publication of his long poem «Galwaa» (غلواء), a name derived from the reverse of Olga.
1945: Publication of his poetry collection «To Eternity» (إلى الأبد).
1946: Multiple Hospital admissions from advanced Leukemia.
1947: Died from Leukemia on 27th of December.
