Two levels must be distinguished in an inverted simile:
1. Syntactic comparison roles. In “kaʾanna ghurratahu wajhu al-khalīfah,” dawn's radiance is the subject and the caliph's face the model.
2. The true focus of praise. The caliph is the figure whose brilliance is being exalted as the very standard.
Normal: “The caliph's face is like the dawn.”
Inverted: “The dawn is like the caliph's face.”
The latter intensifies the praise by reversing the usual direction of comparison.
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Two levels must be distinguished in an inverted simile:
1. Syntactic comparison roles. In “kaʾanna ghurratahu wajhu al-khalīfah,” dawn's radiance is the subject and the caliph's face the model.
2. The true focus of praise. The caliph is the figure whose brilliance is being exalted as the very standard.
Normal: “The caliph's face is like the dawn.”
Inverted: “The dawn is like the caliph's face.”
The latter intensifies the praise by reversing the usual direction of comparison.