«مَا خِلْتُ أَنْ يُسْتَسَرَّ مَكْرِي / وَأَنْ يُخَيَّلَ الَّذِي عَنَيْتُ»
I did not expect my trick to remain concealed or my intended fiction to be taken as it was.
Makrī means “my ruse,” while yukhayyala concerns presenting something in imagination so that it appears real. Mā khiltu negates the speaker’s expectation.
Abū Zayd is explaining his method, not offering reliable advice. He performed a convincing role; the listeners accepted its emotional power without asking how the story could be verified.