«لِأَعْلَقَ مِنْهُ بِمَا يَكُونُ لِي زِينَةً بَيْنَ الْأَنَامِ»
So that I might acquire from it something that would adorn me among people.
Aʿlaqa conveys acquiring or grasping what is sought. Zīnah is figurative adornment: learning and eloquence enhance a person's presence, rather than decorating the body.
The wish includes both love of learning and a desire for distinction in society. That dual motive becomes significant when the narrator later encounters a man who can shape impressions through language.