Kidung is a form of old poetry, especially one that has developed since the era of Javanese literature in the Middle period, namely from the late Majapahit period. As an old poem, its form is very much bound by a strict metrum, in setting the pattern of rhyme (rhyme) in a stanza, the number of syllables (syllables) in one line, and the number of lines in one stanza. In its development, especially in Bali, chanting also involves musical instruments so that the song/tone elements are connected in a stanza pattern. Rules of this kind are also known in other old poetic forms in Javanese literature, such as kakawin and macapat. Kidung can also be interpreted as a meter pattern.

Lexically, the word "kidung" comes from Middle Javanese and has the equivalent of tembang or sekar, meaning 'singing' in new Javanese. The verb form of kidung in Middle Javanese becomes mangidung, 'to sing'. New Javanese also recognizes the term kidung which has more or less the same meaning as kidung in Middle Javanese, and the verb form becomes ngidung or angidung. This meaning is then often used in the use of the term "kidung" as a hymn of praise or religion in modern Javanese as well as Indonesian.