Translation
There is no memory of that which came before,
Go to footnote numberneither will that which comes later be remembered by those who come after that time.
Paraphrase
We do not consider what has been done before as truly special, and what is done in the future will not be considered special by those that follow them. Nothing that we do can truly change the deep issues of life such as pain, heart ache, loneliness, and a quest for purpose.
Footnotes
1: “no memory of that which came before”
One could say that we do have records of things from the past; we try to remember by writing things down. But his point is that none of the things that have been done in the past have changed the deep issues of life, and what is done in the future will not change them either. Of all his efforts and accomplishments we know very little, and knowing what we do know about Solomon’s accomplishments does not change who we are or the realities of our lives.